


From the Beginning

by Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter



Series: Guardian [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Iambic Prose, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 123,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter/pseuds/Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny Fenton saw NO POINT in apologizing to someone who had TRAPPED him in a poem... Clockwork insists, however, and of course Danny has to do it for the sake of time - or something. He wasn't listening very closely. Still. Ghostwriter? How was he important to Danny's future? Well...he supposed he was about to find out... (Iambic Prose buildup. Ghostwriter x Danny Phantom)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New story, new story, new story, NEW STORY!!! For those of you who don't know me, I'm a major Iambic Prose shipper. So, you know, enjoy the story spam I leave you with.

**Chapter One - A Fresh Start**

**::**

“Aha...and here I'm always saying that the Master of Time doesn't have a sense of humor! Good one, Clockwork. Really, good joke.” The silence stretched and grew, filled only by the gentle ticking and moving of clocks and gears. “Wait...you’re serious?! I actually have to go and-”

“Yes, Daniel. You do.” Daniel James Fenton, a fifteen-year-old teenager who also went by the name of Danny Phantom, slumped in the armchair he had been sitting in, depressed and surly mood shown with his whole demeanor. “This will be good for you. You’ll see.”

“Oh, let me guess. ‘In time?’” The silence was answer enough, he supposed. “Come on, Clockwork. If I even go _near_ that library, he’ll probably animate those stone lions of his and make them eat me! Death by stone lion just sounds pathetic, too…”

“He hardly needs the help of his powers to defeat you, Daniel.” The teen perked up at that, eyes narrowed at the blue skinned being that floated a few feet away, the tip of a spectral tail just barely touching the ground.

“Is that- Are you saying he’s _stronger_ than me?! Need I remind you that I won that battle!” With the help of most of the Ghost Zone, admittedly enough, but honestly. What else was he meant to do? The ghost he had fought was able to change _reality_ ! He was only a simple half-ghost, teenage superhero. He could hardly be expected to face _every_ challenge on his own.

“Mm, the fact remains, Daniel. Apologizing to the Ghostwriter is something I need you to do, even if you don’t yet understand why.” Having a mentor who was the ghost in charge of controlling time was troublesome, Danny decided.

“But- But- Isn’t he still in jail? I mean, it’s only been a week since Christmas- In case you forgot, oh Master of Time, Walker has a bounty on my head if I even go _near_ that place!” At the clever smile that was shot his way, Danny quickly felt his excuses meet swift and deadly ends. “He’s back at his library, isn’t he?”

“Walker seemed to think that jailing a ghost with reality controlling powers for extended amounts of time was unwise. Breaking the keyboard only damaged his connection to his powers for a short while, a week, to be precise.” Danny heaved a sigh, realizing that there really was no escape.

“Fine...I’ll go apologize to the book nerd- But if I end up stuck in another poem, you’re the one who’s going to pay!”

“I’ll keep that in mind, shall I?” Danny huffed, letting two glowing rings of light wrap around his waist, moving outwards and slowly transforming him into another person altogether. Floating out of the chair he had been sitting in, he lazily flew over to Clockwork, who was staring at a large mirror that was filled with moving images.

“This is some ‘for the good of the time stream’ thing, isn’t it?” The only response his question earned was another smile. “You love frustrating others, don’t you?”

“It happens to be one of my greatest joys. Now go, apologize. All will be as it should.” Well. There was no getting out of it once _that_ line was used. Sighing, and flying out with as much dignity as he could manage, Danny nervously began his journey to one of the few libraries in the Ghost Zone.

He only saw a few ghosts out, and those he did see seemed to be tipsy and none too there. He supposed parties and celebrations were still going on for the ghosts, just like they were for the humans. It really amazed him, sometimes, just how similar the living and the undead could be, in their habits.

“Okay. Right. Library. Ghostwriter. I can do this.” Taking a deep breath, Danny landed on the steps leading up to large oak doors, feet slowly carrying him up as he looked around. He hadn’t managed a good look the last time he was here, but this place really was...amazing. He imagined it would be easy to spend days lost inside, never coming out of what must be hundreds of shelves and- Was that humming?

“Stay calm, Fenton. Probably just...background noise. From the Zone. Yeah. That must be it.” He was already losing sanity, bit by bit, no need to speed it along by helping. “Here goes nothing, I guess.” He gave the smallest, and lightest knock he could manage, immediately taking a step back when he was done. If he was in his human form, his heart would have been pounding out of his chest.

“Welp! Nobody home! Guess I can just say I tried and-” The teen ghost didn’t even manage to start turning on his heel before the doors opened grandly, gesturing him inside. Seeing no one around, and certainly not any irate librarian, Danny cautiously took a step inside. A resounding bang duly informed him that he wouldn’t be leaving through the front doors. “I...should have seen that coming…”

Nervously looking around the empty library, Danny finally noticed that he didn’t feel as worried as he probably should have been. Sure, he was probably going to flee at the nearest opportunity, but the building felt...peaceful. Welcoming. Pushing himself off against the doors he had been pressed against, he floated into the air, looking around the building.

It was much larger than he would have first guessed. Shelves were easily up to twenty feet high and coated the walls. More were arranged and scattered around the carpeted floor, a carpet that he had noticed was soft and springy, and a dull purple color that matched everything else. Books as well, unshelved and open, dominated whatever space was left. It was, all in all, the perfect dream for a book lover.

“Um...hello? Anyone here?” Floating up higher, he noticed a second story that was ringed by white rails, a perfect circle of a level that showed a painted roof that looked like something out of an ancient colosseum. The higher vantage point, as well, showed him the tables and couches that were liberally scattered throughout, as if there was no rhyme nor reason to where they ended up.

Everything was also...covered in dust?

“Vidya, have you seen the set on ancient architecture? I could have sworn I…” Danny flew back to the door in a flash, a part of him hoping the doors would open again. To no luck, it seemed. “How...did you get in here?”

“Um, well, the doors- They just sort of...opened.” Danny trailed off, rubbing one arm as he shrugged, Ghostwriter only frowning in confusion. Danny noticed, now that he was looking, that the ghost looked quite human. Minus the sharp teeth, pointed ears, and ethereal glow, he could have passed for a sleep-deprived college student.

“I assume that means they closed behind you, as well?” And thank whatever higher power was out there that the ghost sounded amused, instead of angered.

“Yeaaah. I was hoping someone would be on the other side of the mysteriously opening doors and then, yeah. Bang. Shut. No hope.” The amused chuckle caught him by surprise, Danny huffing and glancing away. “It’s not _that_ funny. I seriously thought I was about to be killed, and my body dumped somewhere.”

“It wouldn’t be improbable. There are multiple books in here that would aid in supplying information on how to hide a body.”

“See, saying things like that is what is going to make people think you’re a serial killer.”

“A serial killer is only named so because they slipped, and were caught. What makes you think I would ever allow myself the same mistake?”

“Hm, let me think. Christmas break behind bars?”

“Most would reference spring break, I believe.” Danny was surprised to find himself grinning, and even more surprised by how...not angry he was. He had expected to be a little pissed off at seeing the man who had trapped him in a poem and almost destroyed his life, but instead he was...amused. And a little thankful. “So, I take it you are here for something?”

“I...wanted to apologize.” Deep breath, Fenton. “It...I shouldn’t have destroyed your Christmas Poem, even if it really was an accident! I should have been more careful of just what I was doing...and...I should have apologized right away, instead of what I _did_ do. So, I’m...sorry.” The room was silent for a few seconds, Danny finally chancing a glance up to see that the other was smiling.

“Practice that beforehand? Or was it all off the top of your head?”

“I’ll have you know that I spent five whole minutes on that!” That got a real laugh out of the ghost, Danny once again surprised to find that he didn’t mind the sound. It actually made him happy, like when he heard his friends laugh at one of his jokes. “So, GW, what’s with all the books here? I mean, I know you nerds can be messy, but really?”

“Upon my return I noticed just how much dust had collected over the years. I figured it was time to do a little cleaning.” That explained why books were scattered across the floor and everywhere else, and why whole shelves were empty. “That, and it seems quite a few of the books became...disorganized.” Here the ghost, confusedly enough, shot a glare to the ceiling.

“Tattered, too, it looks like.” Danny floated closer to a pile of books on one of the tables, surprised to see how worn they were, almost as if they were falling apart. “Might want to start thinking about changing the covers, to prevent further decay. And maybe retouching the pages and coating them. Rebinding them wouldn’t hurt, either- What? What’s with that look?”

“Ah, nothing. I just...didn’t expect you to know so much about books.”

“Heh, well, can’t take all the credit. My sister’s a major bookworm, and I guess I picked up a lot of stuff from her.” Danny paused for a few seconds, hovering closer to the ground as he nervously looked over at the other. “I really am sorry about your book, though. I...I’m not really at my best, around the holidays. Especially when it comes to Christmas.”

Ghostwriter looked surprised for a few moments, slowly recalling the scenes he had written in about the young teen’s past, and the yearly arguments between his parents. With the way the other’s childhood had been, it was little wonder he had hated Christmas as much as he had.

“I...apologize as well.” Danny jerked his head up in confusion, Ghostwriter smiling at the reaction. “As you’ve gathered, I’m rather obsessive over my books, and to see one destroyed, well… I didn’t quite expect to carry things so far, but you can hardly deny that you needed the lesson.”

“...true,” Danny grudgingly admitted. “Although after messing with your obsession, I kind of deserve what happened.”

“The blame seems to lie in both parties this time around, so why not agree to forgive and forget on both sides?” Danny nodded, surprised at just how...cool, the ghost seemed. He had expected a raging and raving maniac that looked to have drank one cup of coffee too many. Not someone who seemed to act a lot like Jazz, only with a sense of humor. “The rewrite was better, besides.”

“You. You are funny.” Danny looked torn between amusement and annoyance at the revelation. “This was something I did not expect.”

“I believe the adage ‘don’t judge a book by their cover’ would work well here, yes?” Danny let out a laugh, flying to the other’s side, and looking at the shelf he had been working on dusting, a quick breath of icy air harmlessly blowing the dust away into almost nothing.

“When was the last time you cleaned in here? There has to be _layers_ of dust in this place.” Seeing the guilty look on the ghost’s face, Danny raised an eyebrow in silent question.

“The eighties, perhaps?” Heaving a sigh, Danny looked around the massive room, as well as the floor above it. There were sure to be countless other rooms scattered around the lair, as well.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us…” Ghostwriter looked startled at that, looking over to the teen, who was already working on dusting off the next shelf.

“You have a talent for seamlessly working your way into other’s lives, don’t you?”

“It’s a gift. A very useful, very fun, gift.”

The next hour passed between the two in a flurry of jokes, banter, and stupid stories. Eventually, during the conversation, it had moved on to Danny’s schoolwork, the teen himself viciously tearing into his English Teacher’s work ethic. “I mean- Really?! Who assigns these books?! They don’t even make _sense_ , not with what we’ve _been_ doing! I mean, it’s bad enough I miss half of the classes thanks to the ghost attacks that are _always_ happening but-” Danny cut himself off with a sigh, shelving another set of books.

“I know I’d understand what the hell they’re all talking about if someone would just take the time to explain it- But, I mean, Sam and Tuck help me as much as they can, and are behind on their own work. And Jazz, well, she’s starting to get ready for college, and I don’t want to distract her from that, not when she’s so focused and needs to start studying even more, and-”

“Have you ever considered the possibility of a tutor? Some students learn better with one-on-one interaction, rather than in a classroom setting.” Danny paused at the information, mulling it over before shrugging.

“I mean, it _sounds_ good, but who would tutor the crazy Fenton kid who’s always running off and screaming about ghosts? Not to mention the running off thing would probably end a lot of the lessons before they even _began_.”

“And a ghostly tutor?” At the scoff he received, Ghostwriter had to resist the urge to hit Danny with one of the books. Then again...the hit might instill into him some common sense.

“What ghost would tutor me?! I mean, all we do is fight, and the ones I _am_ on friendly terms with are either too busy, or wouldn’t understand what I’m trying to ask them! The only ones who _remotely_ fit that possibility is someone I refuse to ask for help, because he’s already done so much, and I’m probably starting to get on his nerves as it is, and- And... _oh_.”

“Finally catch on?” Ghostwriter was expecting a clever retort, not the puzzled and confused look he was given.

“But- Uh- You- Um-”

“I was studying to become a teacher before my untimely demise. Who better to help you with your work than someone who possesses the credentials?” To be truthful, Ghostwriter was expecting to be laughed at, not...hugged.

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! YOU ARE THE BEST EVER AND I PROMISE TO ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION AND NOT BE AN IDIOT AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”

“Um, yes, you’re, uh, welcome?” Ghostwriter struggled against the hug he was still caught up in, even going so far as to attempt phase out. He had underestimated just how clingy the half-ghost was, however. “Is there any chance you would be willing to let go?”

“Nope.”

“No, I thought not…” This was going to be a long few months.

::

“Enjoy your visit with the Ghostwriter?”

“You are a sneaky ghost, Clockwork.” Clockwork only grinned over at his young charge, who was once again back in the Clock Citadel. “You couldn’t have just _said_ he was meant to be my new tutor, or something? You know, instead of making me panic and worry.”

“Panic is good for keeping you on your toes.” Clockwork huffed a laugh at the dramatic gesture to the ghostly tail Danny had, something he usually adopted when in his ghost form most days. “Relatively speaking, of course.”

“Uh huh. Are there any other secret time things I need to know about Ghostwriter? Or am I just going to be constantly surprised?” The time ghost let out a small smile, visions and possibilities of the future flying through his head so fast he could barely glimpse them. Of course, they all had one thing in common.

“I think I’ll let you discover that on your own.” Clockwork fondly shook his head at the dramatics the other let out, letting him settle down before speaking again. “And, Daniel? I’ve never seen you as ‘getting on my nerves.’ Your company is most welcome, and quite the pleasant change from the silence in the tower.”

“...I knew it! I knew you listened in on my conversations!” The ghost only nodded along to Danny’s rants about privacy, deciding not to comment on the smile that was on the other’s face. If he had to guess however, and he was rather good at guessing, it wasn’t just because of his words, either. And to think…

It was only just beginning.

 


	2. Tutoring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updates will be frequent until I find a schedule to work with, so yay for you all!

** Chapter Two - Tutoring  **

** ::  **

Danny Fenton was a teenager who had faced more than could have ever been expected of him. He had battled with fallen kings of yore, faced and won against the inner demons that kept him gasping for air, and even fought when time itself was his enemy. He had faced things no one had expected him to survive, and, in a way, he never really had. At least, the person he once was hadn’t survived...this, however. This new task that was set before him. He had finally found his limit of strength...and it was one he could not surpass. 

“This...is something I will never accomplish. All my fighting, all the things I’ve faced...all leading up to nothing more than a few mentions between whispers. There is...no chance of me surviving this.” 

“Melodramatic, aren’t you?” The only response to Ghostwriter’s question was a long, drawn-out whine that had him rolling his eyes. Honestly, how one teen could make this big of a fuss over learning Shakespeare, he just wasn’t sure. “Yes, well, he was never my favorite, either. You still need to learn of him, however.” 

“It’s. So. Haaarrrddd.” Ghostwriter had the horrible urge to make a tasteless joke. It was an urge that suddenly made him doubt spending his free time with a growing teenager that had an immature sense of humor. “This is like- Another language, or something!” 

“If you would pay attention, it might be easier for you to grasp.” The teen only tried to crawl under the low-set table he had claimed as his, the ghost soon seeing nothing but a mop of messy black hair. “Will you be hiding there for the entire time?” 

“ Yes. The carpet is comfy. And smells like mothballs.” Hm. He might have just broken Danny Phantom. “I like mothball smell...nice carpet.” Maybe switching back to math would be a better option. The teen seemed to  _ like  _ math, which had been a pleasant surprise. He supposed he should have expected it, seeing as the teen’s parents were scientists in their own right. “Besides, learning this stuff is  _ boring _ .” 

“ Teaching you is frustrating, and yet you hardly see me complaining and giving up to curl around a mothball scented carpet.” This was ridiculous, he had been one of the best in his class, and yet there was  _ nothing  _ in his books on how he could help the teen in front of him. He was close to rewriting reality and brainwashing him, at the rate things were going. “Your attention span is atrocious.” 

“Yeah, well...so are you!” 

“Such a witty and clever repertoire. Truly, those puns of yours must be improving your sense of humor.” Maybe if he tied him down and stopped him from fidgeting every ten seconds, they might get somewhere. 

“ You’re mean.” At any lack of a returning response, Danny slowly crawled out from under the table, propping himself back up across his scattered work. Things had been going well until they had started  _ English _ . Math, History, Science- Those were things he understood! English, however...now, that was just inhumane. “Hey, does torturing me count as inhumane if I’m half ghost?” 

“ I...yes?” Ghostwriter really was not sure what to do with this teen, and it was only their  _ first  _ tutoring session. There were moments when he saw just how clever and brilliant the teen was, which is what made it so believable he was able to outwit his stronger ghostly opponents, and then… Then there were moments like these. “Do you voice every thought that happens to pass through your head?” 

“ I do when I’ve been running on two hours sleep and being forced to work on English.” Looking up to see the pained expression on the other’s face, Danny grinned. “Let me guess, poor sentence construction?” He was just being cruel at this point, but, well, he was allowed to be cruel  _ sometimes _ . “If you loosened up, you would be a lot funner-” 

“I will not hesitate to trap you in another poem.” Danny only grinned, seeing the empty threat for what it was. And oh, look. There was that mysterious ghostly humming again. He really hoped he wasn’t losing his mind, not that he would be surprised, at the rate he was going. Still, he figured Clockwork would at least warn him if he was about to lose any and all sanity. 

“I’m booooored.” The sigh of pain and defeat he heard from his tutor was a thing of beauty, truly. “Just face it, I’m never gonna understand this stuff! Like, you aren’t the first one to try and get me to understand this stuff. It doesn’t end well. Ever.” 

“ I refuse to give up when I know for a  _ fact  _ you are an intelligent person. You merely need these things to be explained in a way for you to understand. Perhaps if we tried reverting to Latin…” 

“ Yeah, okay. Great. Now you’ve lost  _ your  _ mind.” Seeing the startled look, Danny rolled his eyes as dramatically as possible. “In case you forgot booknerd, I can’t even understand  _ English _ . What makes you think I’m gonna understand Latin?!” 

“You...don’t know?” At the look he was given, he supposed not. Sighing, Andrew summoned a book to them with a flick of his fingers, letting it hover to an open page in front of the confused teen. “Ghosts have the ability to understand dead languages, which are languages that are no longer used by cultures in the living world. Latin is the one most known by example, but others include Sanskrit, Sumerian, and Ancient Greek. Since many words in English stem from multiple languages across the world, seeing where they originated from might greatly help." 

“ I’m...reading Latin. I’m reading a book. In  _ Latin _ .” Ghostwriter had to suppress the laugh that threatened to bubble up, although that did nothing for the smile. “This. Is. So. Cool.” 

“Yes, I suppose it is. You may still be human, but your ghostly half affords you all the instincts of our kind as well. This includes the ability to read, write, and even speak in these languages. The writing might take time to fully understand and learn, but reading you’ve seemed to pick up on easily enough.” 

“So. Very. Cool.” Well, he supposed this would at least help the teen understand English. Although that still didn’t explain some of his past work done… He was excellent in subjects such as Science and Math, if a little behind on the material, and yet History and English seemed to be where he was most often tripped. 

“Phantom, can you show me those examples you brought of past work?” The teen vaguely gestured to a stack of papers, Ghostwriter rolling his eyes as he levitated them over. Things seemed okay...his explanations were precise and coherent, and the exact phrasing needed. Yet… Everything looked as if he had been answering completely different questions. 

“ Oh- So! Oh! That’s what it meant!” The ghost blinked up at his student, happy to see he was filling the worksheets and homework out with little problem now that he seemed to understand the lesson. Although he didn’t know how the boy was able to  _ see  _ anything, with his face being pressed that close to the paper- Oh...hm. Well, that would explain things. 

Danny effortlessly filled in his homework, only looking up when he heard objects falling and rapid cursing from another room. Deciding it would be better not to question it, he went back to his work, squinting at one of the questions. Why did they have to make this print so  _ small _ . Really, it was just...suddenly bigger? What on- “Um...why can I suddenly see better?” 

“Those would be the glasses I slipped on when you weren’t paying attention.” Blinking in confusion, and reaching up to check, Danny did indeed find a pair of plastic frames on his face. They were obviously reading glasses, with a rectangular frame, in contrast to the usual ovals the other ghost himself wore. “It’s surprisingly easy to slip things past you when you’ve had so little sleep.” 

“Yeah, my friends have games where they move my things and draw on my arms and then try to say I did it.” Ghostwriter raised an eyebrow, Danny grinning. “They’re great friends. And making each other doubt our perception over reality is how we show love.” Ghostwriter wasn’t sure whether he should be worried, or amused. 

“Has your vision improved?” 

“ Very well, actually,” Danny reluctantly admitted, slipping the glasses back on and quickly finishing his homework. “It’s gonna make school a bigger hell than it already is, though. I figure you’re not so out of touch with time that you know just how  _ well liked  _ kids with glasses are in high schools.” 

“It at least teaches you how to hold your breath for longer time periods,” the ghost snickered, waving his hand and letting most of the books he had been using fly back to their shelves. “And how to duck- Which is something you could sorely use work on, after seeing a few of your fights.” 

“Oh, this is gonna be good. The booknerd is going to teach me how to fight? This I’d love to see.” Danny blinked at the suddenly wicked smile he was shot, mentally wondering why it felt like he had just signed his death warrant. 

“Hardly worth the effort, I think.” Wow. Rude. “Go ahead and finish whatever you have left, I’ll make some coffee so you can stay awake long enough to fly home without fainting in the middle of the Zone-” 

“I don’t faint!” 

“My apologies, fall unconscious due to a lack of maintaining your physical stature.” Hmph. Prick. 

Danny did as instructed anyways, quickly finishing his homework and putting it away, along with the scattered mess of his other books. He stopped halfway through when he noticed a book that was about to fall off one of the shelves, the teen quickly jumping up to catch it as it did just that. “For a book nerd you think he would notice- Ohmygosh! This is the extended edition! I didn’t even know there was a copy that still  _ existed _ !” 

Danny bounced to his feet, immediately changing into his ghost form and flying after Ghostwriter, almost startling the ghost into dropping the two cups of coffee he was preparing. “Just what-” 

“ Iknowyoudon’ttrustmearoundbooksbutIreallyneedtoborrowthisone _ pleasepleaseplease _ !” The book ghost slowly blinked, nervously looking around his kitchen for, what he mentally realized might be, some form of weapon. It was a few seconds later before a look of realization was on his face. 

“Oh! Which book were you curious in borrowing?” Immediately Andrew was looking at a cover that was all too familiar to him, the shock showing through on his face. 

“Please don’t you dare say one bad word about this book. Not when I was just starting to like you.” 

“...what?” 

“ Dude, please. I  _ need _ to borrow this- It’s- It’s the extended edition! Do you know- These don’t even  _ exist  _ anymore- I mean, I’ve read the standard version about a couple thousand times, enough to where my copy is kind of worn and ragged and almost falling apart- Don’t worry though, I had my sister help me rebind it- But, um, extended! There’s things in here about the world I’ve never read  _ and please you have to let me borrow it please please please please!! _ ” 

“Did- Was that ghost speak?” Danny paused, nervously nodding. “I...you like this book that much?” 

“ Dude- Did you not just hear? It’s  _ The Soundless Clock _ \- How could _ I not love this book?! I mean, _ the characterization is  _ perfect _ , it’s LGBTQ+ friendly, which the older books almost  _ never  _ are!  _ And the world building was utterly perfect, better than Harry Potter _ and Hunger Games combined- And ugh, don’t get me started on how perfect the  _ plot and mystery _ was- It was so unexpected and yet at the same time  _ the clues were right in plain sight the whole time! It was incredible and and and- You have to let me borrow this book! Please! _ ” 

“I- Uh…” Ghostwriter trailed off, not quite sure on how to respond. “You can have it? I mean, I never read it anymore-” The rest of his sentence was cut off as he was suddenly tackled to the floor in a very eager half ghost hug. He was surprised to find he wasn’t as upset about it as he thought he would be. 

“ Thank you, thank you,  _ thank you, thank you, thank YOU, THANK YOU!!  _ You are the bestest and most awesomest person ever.” 

“Please never butcher a sentence like that again.” 

“ I make no promises.” In a flash Danny was letting him go and flying back to their study area, Ghostwriter finishing up their coffees and following after, mind still reeling. It wasn’t that he had doubted Danny was the type to love reading books, he just...didn’t expect him to love  _ that  _ one. “No freaking way. It- Prologue. Thing. New scene.” The words trailed off into overly excited giggling, Danny curled up on one side of the couch and looking as giddy as a child on Christmas morning. 

“And no more reading headaches~” Ghostwriter had a feeling he wouldn’t be getting those glasses back, not that he minded. They were rather well suited to the teen. Even if they had somehow changed to white frames in the teen’s ghost form, which, really...how did that even make sense? “Yesss.” 

Ghostwriter really was not sure how to react. He figured, however, that it would probably be best if he  _ avoided  _ telling the teen he was the one who had wrote the book he was so enamored with. “I DON’T REMEMBER THIS LINE IN THE SONG?! WHAT- HOW MUCH HAVE I BEEN MISSING?!” Yeah…

He’d keep that secret a while longer. 


	3. Truce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's half past six and I can see Fate.

** Chapter Three - Truce  **

** ::  **

“Okay. I need your advice on something. Advice that doesn’t make it seem like I’m losing my mind.” Ghostwriter paused and looked up from the book he had been reading, seeing his student standing in front of him with a determined expression. “Advice is needed, GW.” 

“Please don’t call me that.” Seeing the desperate look, Ghostwriter sighed and closed his book. It was a safe bet that he wouldn’t be getting any reading done until Danny was given the answers he wanted. “What type of advice?” 

“I keep hearing noises and I think I’m going crazy.” Well… He had not been expecting that. “No! Stop with that expression of doubt! I’m serious, every time I’m over here I hear this weird humming violin thing in my head- There! Do you hear it?!” Ghostwriter blinked at the lyrical violin that played in his head, a noise that sounded similar to humming. 

“You...can hear Vidya?” The ghost felt like laughing until he saw the sympathy inducing look on the other’s face. “You’re not losing your sanity, Phantom. Vidya is my lair, although I’m not certain how you’re able to hear her.” The expression became even more bewildered, Ghostwriter knowing this was going to be another lesson. It wasn’t like he quite minded, it was actually rather fun to teach the teen about the Ghost Zone. 

Powers that be knew he needed the help, what with how little he knew about a world that was half his.  

“Every ghost has a place in this world that they call their own. While most have doors that lead to miniature dimensions that can span anywhere from rooms to entire buildings, more powerful ones have lairs, and some even live together in collected communities.” 

“ Like Dora and her people, and the Far Frozen, right?” The ghost nodded, stopped before he could continue. “Wait- More powerful- Just how strong are you?! I mean, I didn’t really think about it before, but you can  _ rewrite reality _ . That. That is not a normal thing.” 

“Normal is relative. Now, for each ghost, their lair is able to communicate with them in various ways. The most common ways are noises indicative of the lair, and their owner. Vidya, for example, communicates in a way that sounds like a violin being played, due to-” 

“You being a pompous ass?” At the glare he was given, Danny grinned. “I’m sorry, that was rude. Please. Continue.” Judging by the amused, tumbling notes on the violin, Vidya was in agreement with him on his sense of humor. 

“If you two are quite finished.” Danny bit his lip, Vidya falling silent as well. “Lairs can communicate with their owners, and usually their owners only, able to recount information for them, and warn them where people are, or if they’re intruding.” 

“Ooh, okay. That explains Skulker’s Island- Wait- Why does Vidya play the violin, or, whatever?” 

“Perhaps because I play the piano, or simply because she prefers that method of communication. I was never quite sure, myself.” Danny nodded, suddenly stopping and looking up at Andrew in surprise. 

“You play the piano?” 

“Is that surprising?” Danny opened his mouth to answer, pausing a second later before shaking his head. 

“Really, it’s something I probably should have expected.” Of course the hipster writer bookworm played the piano. “So, okay, you said only the ghost can hear their lair, so why can I hear, um, Vidya, right?” 

“That I’m not certain of. Lair communication is strictly relaied between the ghost, and their mate.” More tumbling notes from  a violin rolled through their heads, sounding amused and exasperated all at once. It was a sound that shouldn’t have worked, yet somehow did. “She seems to have an idea, although I’m willing to bet it’s one she won’t be sharing.” 

“So...she’s basically a stuck-up and disgruntled cat?” Danny wasn’t sure what was more amusing, Ghostwriter’s startled laugh, or Vidya’s screeching notes. 

::

“How come I never see you around Amity Park, or even the Ghost Zone?” 

“For someone who’s meant to be working on their essay, you’re asking a lot of unrelated questions.” Danny gave a huff, fixing his reading glasses as he looked back down to the English essay he was meant to be doing. He managed another two lines before he was asking again. 

“ I mean, I’ve seen almost every other ghost around, even if it’s just in the Zone, but you  _ never  _ leave Vidya. Why?” The heavy sigh he heard made him think about dropping the subject, but his stubbornness vehemently rejected the idea. “I mean, you can’t spend  _ all  _ your time locked up in a library.” 

“Trust me, Phantom, if the doors were locked, then many of my problems would be solved.” Danny wasn’t sure if that was a crack at him, or a complaint to Vidya. Most likely both, considering how good at multitasking the other was. “I’ve had my fill of social interaction, for more than one lifetime, thank you. Now finish your essay so I can check it.” 

Three more sentences were scribbled down, Danny physically biting his tongue to keep from asking any more questions. “But  _ why _ ? I mean, don’t you ever get lonely?” Another heavy sigh, this one making Danny feel just a tad bit guilty. 

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” 

“ Clearly you’ve never seen me when fighting ghosts. I’m very stubborn.” At the look he was given, Danny returned it with a brilliant smile. He could  _ see  _ the ghost resisting the urge to throw a book at his head. 

“Leaving my lair means dealing with others. Humans are troublesome and not worth my time, and the ghosts are just as troublesome, either spoiling for a fight, or eager to attempt some other foolish plan. I’m better off with nothing but my books.” 

“Yup. Sounds really lonely.” The dark glare he was given did little to quiet him. “So, am I the exception to this rule of ‘no social interaction’?” 

“You were...unexpected.” Danny snorted at that, the sound a bit more jaded than he would have liked. 

“Unexpected is getting stuck with ghost powers and being forced to live a double life- No, what you did was not unexpected. Don’t get me wrong, I love that you offered to tutor me, it’s probably saving me from failing this year, but...it wasn’t unexpected. I know enough of you by now to know that you weighed every pro and con in your head before offering anything.” 

“ Trust me, Phantom. You were  _ very  _ unexpected.” Well. He really had no idea what to do with that odd turn of phrase. Giving his own sigh, he returned to his essay, a silence filled with turning pages and scribbling pencils filling up between them. 

“So, why don’t you like dealing with other ghosts? I mean, there has to be more to it than them just being troublesome.” 

A tired groan of regret answered the question. 

::

“Well, someone looks more dead than usual.” A groan met Ghostwriter’s ears, the ghost chuckling. “I find my humor to be quite amusing.” 

“ If I wasn’t so tired, I would throw my backpack at your head.” Looking closer, the ghost could indeed see that the teen looked  _ exhausted _ . The bags under his eyes were darker than normal, accompanied by deep lines. The oddest change was the fact the teen was in his human form, which he often avoided when in the Ghost Zone. “I almost crashed four times trying to get here.” 

“ Does that include the moment you tumbled over one of the stone lions?” Danny gave the ceiling a dark look, muttering about traitors even as Ghostwriter laughed. “Have you managed  _ any  _ sleep?” 

“ Does passing out at my school desk count?” At the look shot his way, Danny sighed. “Then no, I haven’t. I’ve been trying to sleep- You don’t even  _ know  _ how hard I’ve been trying to sleep. The ghost attacks though. Sooo maaaany.” Ghostwriter shook his head as the teen dramatically rolled over onto the floor, not bothering to move. 

“ Have you ever tried resolving your conflicts  _ without  _ throwing punches?” He decided to take the groan as a no. “Diplomacy might be a better idea than you give it credit for. Now, what homework are you working on today?” At the silence, Ghostwriter rolled his eyes and walked over, surprised to see the human was completely passed out. “Well...I suppose that rules out homework, for today.” 

Levitating Danny back onto the couch, he threw the blanket over him, tugging the scuffed up shoes off after a second of thought. A nap would keep the teen from changing back into his human side halfway home. At least, that was his reasoning, until the violin happily plucking away in his head had him glaring at the ceiling. 

“Oh, hush, you. I’m allowed to be concerned for my student.” To hear laughter from a violin was a strange thing. Full of twisting and turning notes that ran after one another, falling over in their eagerness to be heard. “Whatever you’re planning…” 

A plotting lair could never equal good things. 

::

“ Alright. This has gotten ridiculous.” This was the fifth ghost attack  _ today _ , and it wasn’t even lunch yet! He needed some way to- Diplomacy, huh… Shooting into the sky, Danny Phantom headed for the center of town. Wherever the highest chance of gossip was, two ghosts were sure to be there. Of course, as soon as he hit downtown, he heard the familiar roar of a motorcycle. “Heya, guys.” 

“Aw, come on! We’re not even doing anything this time!” Danny rolled his eyes at Johnny 13’s dramatic tendencies, choosing instead to hover around Kitty, who at least looked curious instead of ready to snap at him. “Can’t you go find someone who’s actually causing trouble?!” 

“No trouble, just want your opinion on something.” At that he got startled looks, Danny grinning. At least he wasn’t getting shot at, that made this interaction better than most by far. “Why, exactly, do the ghosts like attacking Amity Park?” 

“Uh, well, for the challenge, I guess,” Kitty shrugged, sharing a confused look with Johnny. “It’s not exactly a secret that Amity is the home of ghost hunters, and that’s one of the best ways to test your skill.” 

“So it’s like a pissing contest?” Kitty laughed at the analogy, Johnny smirking and nodding his head. 

“Others just like it because humans are so used to ghosts, a lot of times we don't get bothered when wandering around- Except by you and the hunters, of course.” Now that gave Danny pause for thought. Just how many ghosts had he shoved back into the Zone who had only been there for a day out? Maybe… 

“Might be losing my mind here...but how does a truce sound to you guys?” 

“Depends, what kind of truce are you talking about?” Danny grinned, happy that his idea was at least willing to be heard. 

“Nothing too complex. Ghosts agree to stop bothering me at school, or work if I get that job I’m after, and they can pick a fight any other time of the day. In exchange, they’re allowed free roam around Amity, as long as they don’t attack any humans!” 

“Whoa- Wait- Are you serious?! Free range?!” 

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. I need to finish school and get some sleep, and from what you’ve said, not all the ghosts sound that bad. So, what do you say? Feel like spreading the message? I’ll even distract the hunters if it starts getting too bad.” 

“Sounds great to me!” Kitty grinned, sliding in behind Johnny on the motorcycle, which started itself up. “Why the change of heart, though? You’re the type to usually shoot first and not ask questions.” Danny shrugged at that, the two noticing the guilt on his face. 

“Yeah, not some of my best moments...being raised by ghost hunters tends to skewer things a little.” Well, that was a thing to keep in mind. The ghosts often forgot that Danny had been raised by people who believed ghosts to be evil, and then to become something that he had been raised to hate...it couldn’t have been easy for him. “So, uh, yeah. A friend suggested I try talking things out for once...although I hope he doesn't find out about this. I’ll never hear the end of it.” 

“Don’t you worry, Kid, we’ll spread the message loud and clear. No harm to humans.” Danny gave a grateful smile, waving the two goodbye and heading back to school, happy that he at least managed to catch the last ten minutes of class. 

It was approaching the end of the day, with not a ghost attack in sight, when Tucker and Sam finally asked what he had done. “I tried talking things out.” 

“Wait, wait. The rambunctious teen who doesn’t think before leaping actually talked things out?” Sam grinned at the glare she was given, swinging an arm around her friend’s shoulder, and almost knocking his glasses off, which he constantly wore during school now. “Aw, relax, Danny, I’m only teasing. So, what’d you do?” 

“Truce. Ghosts are allowed free range in Amity Park as long as they promise not to pick fights during school hours, and don’t harm any humans.” 

“And you think it’ll be safe?” Tucker asked, surprised to see the other didn’t look nervous or worried at the idea of things going wrong. 

“I think so. The ghosts aren’t all bad, and the few that do pick fights mostly do so to get to me, so I figure as long as I keep Valerie and my parents away, things will turn out alright. Also, what is everyone looking at?” The three had just gotten outside the school, surprised to see that most students were milling around and looking towards the road. 

“Hey, Kid!” Hearing the familiar whine of a parked motorcycle, Danny rolled his eyes and slipped over, fist bumping Johnny in greeting when he got close enough. “Just thought you might want to know that your message has been spread all over, and  Kitty’s finishing up telling anyone else that we might have missed.” 

“ Really? Thanks,” Danny grinned, happy at the news. “How’d most of them take it?” Johnny shrugged, neither paying much attention to the shocked looks the students were giving the smaller teen. It was a well known fact that Danny Fenton didn’t interact much with others, so what was he doing talking to  _ this  _ guy? 

“Eh, pretty okay. A few will probably be against it until you knock ‘em in line, though.” Danny rolled his eyes at the grin he was given. 

“Yeah, yeah. Nothing new, there. Did you have to come to school to tell me all this, though? I think the other kids think you’re a gang member. Which makes me an associate to a gang, probably.” And seeing the spark in the older’s eyes, Danny realized he had said the wrong thing, especially when Johnny raised his voice enough for others to hear.

“Aw, you’re no fun, lil cuz!” Danny only sighed as he was wrapped in a one armed hug, hair being messed up to resemble a hedge rather than just the usual bedhead. “What am I supposed to tell the Boss, now?” 

“You are terrible.” The teen couldn’t find it in himself to be angry, or stop his smile, since more than half the students were looking terrified, while Sam and Tucker laughed from where they were waiting on him. “How does Kitty put up with you?” 

“ I’m charming. Speaking of, if I’m late picking her up, then she’s going to castrate me. Seeya later,  _ lil cuz _ .” Ooh, he could just tell now that was going to stick. 

“Yeah, yeah. Get you and your stupid motorcycle out of here. Can’t you see this is a no parking zone?” Johnny laughed as he left, Danny shaking his head and joining back up with his friends. Seeing Tucker’s PDA out, he raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you didn’t just record that whole thing.” 

“I’m submitting this to the school paper. Danny Fenton - Crazy Ghost Kid or Mobster Youngster?” 

“I regret the day you got that spot on the school paper…” 

::

“A truce, hm?” Ghostwriter laughed at his student immediately turned to leave, the doors shutting before he could. “As if Vidya would let you leave without finishing your work.” 

“You either, for that matter,” Danny huffed, giving up all hope of escape. “So, yeah, maybe I was a little harsh in how I dealt with the ghosts before- Wait...how did you even find out about the truce?! You never leave this place!” 

“Never underestimate Kitty’s persistence in letting others know the latest gossip,” Ghostwriter grinned, tugging Danny along to their usual study spot. “She seems to think since I never leave Vidya, I would appreciate being kept up on the latest gossip. I know far more about some ghosts than I care for…” 

“Oo, tell tell!” Seeing the grin, the ghost realized he might be able to use this to his advantage. 

“Alright. For every piece of homework you finish, I’ll tell you something I know about a ghost of your choosing.” Seeing the wicked and clever grin he was given, he was thinking he might have made just one of the biggest mistakes of his afterlife. 

“Alright. For advance references, all of the ghosts I choose are gonna be the same. They’re also gonna be you.” Dammit. He was smarter than he had given him credit for…

He was a little upset by how proud he was. 


	4. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seeee e v e r y t h i n g

** Chapter Four - Trust  **

** ::  **

“You know, in theory, the truce was a really good idea…” 

“In execution, however?” 

“Yeah...not so great.” Ghostwriter was getting remarkably used to these conversations, for knowing the teen only a few weeks. It was hardly surprising, however, considering how often he was at the library. Including the one time he had dragged his friends there. That had been a day filled with regret… 

“It’s only been a few days, Phantom, you can hardly expect this truce to take hold so suddenly. Ghosts are creatures of habits and obsession. Sudden changes rarely sit well with us.” 

“You seemed to be okay after suddenly tutoring me and, you know, changing years and years of solitude.” Ghostwriter paused at that, giving a nod. 

“True. I’m still not quite sure how that happened… Anyways, just what about this truce is bothering you?” At the loud sigh, Ghostwriter was thankful they had gotten most of the boy’s homework done earlier. He had a feeling this conversation was going to take a while. 

“Half the ghosts seem to be okay with it, and the humans aren’t reacting too negatively, ghost hunters not included- But, I mean, the other half of the ghosts! They think I’m setting them all up for some big trap! It was bad enough they picked fights with me during school hours, now they’re just...stalking me. It’s unnerving.” 

“It’s hardly unexpected, after nearly a year of being defeated by you, it makes sense they’re wary of trusting you so quickly. Give it time, things will start to come together.” At the silence, Ghostwriter looked over to Danny, surprised to see the teen giving him a look of confusion and annoyance. 

“ No. Sounding like my mentor is not helping. At all. Ever. It- He planned this. I know he did. He plans  _ everything _ !” Mentor? Perhaps the teen was referring to Frostbite, since he had taught the boy how to use his ice core and powers. “Neither of you are helping me! Just what am I supposed to be doing here?!” 

“Gaining their trust would be a wise start. Have you seen that book on horticulture? I could have sworn I placed it on the desk.” 

“No, it’s on the couch. The book for Asian Fan Making is on the desk.” Danny flew over and retrieved the book needed, flying it back to Ghostwriter, who gave him a smile of thanks. “How am I supposed to gain their trust, though? I’m not exactly the most tactful person.” 

“Mm, not quite.” At the look he was given, the ghost sighed. “What do you want to hear? For me to suggest you breaking the ghosts out of jail? It’s going to take time, Phantom, as all things do.” Missing the growing smile on Danny’s face, Ghostwriter went back to sorting his books. “Did you finish your Science work?” 

“Yes, I did. It was easier than I thought it would be- Did you find that book on Ancient Greece Social Customs? I need it to finish History.” The book was hovering in front of him in a few seconds, purple aura leaving as it dropped into his hands. “Thank you!” 

“Make sure to use your reading glasses, the print is smaller than usual on that one.” 

“Got it!” Making sure the teen was indeed working on his homework, Ghostwriter nodded and went back to what he was doing, hearing a light, airy laughter that sounded more like musical notes than vocal noise. 

“Oh, hush.” Phantom wasn’t his friend. Just his student. Nope. Ghostwriter didn’t need friends, nor did he want them. Simple ghost, simple needs. “Mm...I used to be much better at lying to myself.” 

“Oh, yeah! GW-” 

“Don’t call me that.” 

“-do you have any more books by M. J. Anderson? There was a reference in the extended version of The Soundless Clock that sounded a lot like a subplot in Star Gazers. I wanted to see if it was the same, or if I was just remembering things differently.” 

“The shelf should be around here somewhere… Ah, that one, behind the couch.” It was a few seconds of silence before there was a shout of surprised glee that almost had the ghost dropping the books he was holding. 

“DUDE! YOU HAVE ALL MY FAVORITE AUTHORS ON ONE SHELF!! THAT’S SO COOL- O. M. G. IS THIS THE UNRELEASED VERSION OF ‘UNDER THE BED’ BY ZACHARY REYES?! IT IISSS!!! CAN I BORROW THIS?!” Oo, right, that had been another one of his pen names, hadn’t- Wait…

“ _ All  _ of your favorite authors?” Danny nodded furiously, clutching the book in his hands almost reverently. 

“ Don’t laugh, but I think I’ve memorized the publication dates for all of these, as well as first printing additions. Just- Ugh, these authors are  _ so  _ good! And the writing style is almost the same in all of them, you know?! Like, I’d be shocked if they didn’t know each other, or was even the same person! Multiple pen names, one person, you know? Oh- Yeah- Book? Borrow?” 

“ Sure…” And, yeah. There was the hugging again. Now he was  _ really  _ unsure how to tell Danny that he seemed to be the author of all his favorite books. Well. There was another secret that he would be taking to the void. “No reading until you finish your homework, though.” 

“Aw…” 

::

To say Ghostwriter was surprised to see Walker on his doorstep, with a platoon of guards behind him, would have been an understatement. “I was unaware today was ‘visit your neighbor’ day.” Not his best line, he would admit, but he was a little panicked. 

“I’m looking for that brat, Phantom. Word is he hangs around here sometimes, seen him?” Oo, he knew this was going to be trouble. Putting on an expression of contemplation, Ghostwriter finally shrugged as uncaringly as he could. 

“Not for a while. I can only hope he grew bored of pestering me daily and left.” There was a quiet minute of staring, Ghostwriter raising an eyebrow before Walker huffed and left. Closing the doors quietly, Ghostwriter snapped around with a dark expression. “What the hell did you do, you little shit?!” 

“ Wow. That’s the first thing you’ve said that makes you sound the age you look.” Danny faded back into the visible spectrum, looking as innocent as he possibly could. Judging by the other’s expression, it wasn’t helping him. “So, I might have pissed off Walker a  _ tiny  _ bit.” 

“Oh, please tell me you didn’t…” 

“You’re the one who said to break the ghosts out of jail-” 

“I was joking! Is that a concept we actually need to review?!” Danny shrugged, leisurely floating on his back. 

“You’re just not very good at joking, I guess.” Vidya let out a few notes of agreement, Ghostwriter not sure whether to finish off the rest of Phantom’s life, or call back Walker and his guards. “So, how have you been?” 

“Contemplating ending my afterlife and returning to the void.” 

“Dismal. I suggest doing something fun, instead. Oo, here’s a question! Do you write stuff other than poetry-trapping poems?” Ghostwriter sighed, officially giving up hope of ever getting rid of the half-ghost teen that was Danny Phantom. The teen was more determined than he had the will to fight against. 

“Science fiction, mainly. Most of my writing was published when I was alive, although I’ve managed to self-publish a few more in recent years. Today’s generation is very lenient to self-publishing, it would seem.” 

“Do you have anything you’d be willing to let me read?” Ghostwriter was about to hit the teen with one of the nearby books when he got a truly wicked idea, something far too cruel. Really, he had no choice but to do it. 

“Heh, I have just the thing. Vidya will lead you to it.” Danny was about to ask what he meant, before he felt a tugging of musical notes in his head, sending him pictures of where he should be going. 

“Ah. Okay.” Ghostwriter patiently waited, mentally counting down in his head until he heard the shout of rage. “VERY FUCKING FUNNY!” The ghost chuckled, fixing his coat as he headed to the kitchen. “YOU’RE CRUEL, YOU KNOW THAT?! SO VERY CRUEL!” 

Hardly his fault if he thought the rewrite  _ was  _ better. 

::

“Dare I ask why you’re sitting on top of my bookshelf?” Ghostwriter watched the teen only curl up tighter on top of the bookshelf that held his published works, looking more depressed than he had ever seen. 

“...This was the only place I could think of.” Ghostwriter blinked in confusion, flying over to Danny and hesitantly hovering a few feet away, silently wondering why he was in his human form. “I couldn’t think of anywhere else that was safe…” Safe?

“Does this have something to do with why that hideous vehicle of yours is outside?” Because the only reason for Danny to be using the speeder for traveling through the Zone was if his friends were with him, yet they were nowhere in sight. 

“ I...had to use it to get here…” Now worried at just how close to panic the other sounded, Ghostwriter wondered if he should be helping the teen, or washing his hands of this mess and hiding until it was over. “I fought with Vlad today, and got tagged by that stupid device of his, the one that suppresses my ghost powers.” Oh. “I...nothing felt  _ safe _ .” 

Danny blinked away the sharp sting of gathering tears, surprised to see that Ghostwriter, instead of leaving him be, had taken a seat beside him. A curious blink only had the ghost smiling softly. “I’d be willing to listen, if you wish to talk about it.” 

“ I...I didn’t realize, how much I relied on my ghost powers. I used to hate them, when I first got them. I was  _ terrified  _ of them. Mom and Dad...said ghosts were evil. They were destructive, and chaotic, and only knew how to take things- So when I found out what I was...at first I wanted to tell them, have them fix me. Make me normal. Then I used my powers,  _ really  _ used them...and things just felt...right. I...didn’t realize how much I relied on them… Not until they were locked away- 

“...I didn’t realize how much I depended on being Phantom, instead of Fenton.” 

“Why… Why do you make it sound as if your human and ghost halves are two separate beings?” Ghostwriter wasn’t expecting the bark of harsh laughter, a sound that made him more uncomfortable than he wanted to admit, even to himself. 

“For all the difference between them, they might as well be… Phantom’s the hero, the one who saves everyone from the ghost attacks. Phantom’s the rogue ghost who no one can figure out, the clever trickster who can evade every hunter, the fearless protector of Amity Park- Fenton’s...just a kid who nobody wants.”

“A teen as smart as you...I’m amazed you can’t see what’s right in front of you.” Danny slowly looked up at that, surprised to see the gentle and warm smile that was directed his way. “You seem to think you’re two different people, human and ghost, but I don’t quite believe you understand just how wrong you are.” 

“What...do you mean?” There was a reason no one had found out his secret, for all that he looked like his ghost half. It was because no one would think to connect the weak and needless son of ghost hunters to the town’s greatest hero. How wrong could he be about that? 

“It’s not your ghost powers that make you a hero, it’s your need to do what’s right. A need that is held by all of you, not just in pieces. You may live two lives, but at the end of them, you’re still a young teenager named Danny. A teenanger who wishes to do what’s right, and fight for what he believes in. You’re both...and neither. Do you understand?” 

“I…” Ghostwriter, by now well used to the teen’s hug attacks, caught him as he was quickly tackled, keeping the teen from falling off the shelf when he was without his ability to fly. 

“That’s not quite an answer, you know,” Ghostwriter lightly laughed, ruffling the teen’s hair, and hoping his words had at least soothed a few of his fears. “Have more faith, petit héros. Save your worries for a later time. For you, life is still yet beginning.” 

“...thank you...even if I didn’t understand that one bit in another language.” Pulling himself together, Danny pulled away, surprised to see that Ghostwriter looked just as surprised. “What?” 

“I...spoke another language?” Danny nodded, watching the writer run over what he had said in his head, and then look even more troubled. 

“Is that...bad?” 

“You...are very unexpected.” Before Danny could ask for an explanation behind that, he was picked up and set down on the floor. “I’ll bring us some coffee.” The ghost was gone in a flash, the teen wondering just what language had been spoken, or what had been said, that had unnerved the other so. 

In the kitchen, Ghostwriter was distractedly making two cups of coffee, nervously biting his lower lip. Just what had possessed him to slip into French- Into the language that had been held in his birthplace? It was a language he had sworn to never speak again, and yet he had, without hesitance, spoken it while comforting a teen he still hardly knew. 

“Why must you always do the unexpected…” 


	5. Distractions

** Chapter Five - Distractions  **

** ::  **

“You know, when I said free range, I didn’t think you’d use it to shop in a music store…” Ember McLain, ghostly pop singer who was well known around Amity Park, looked up from where she was browsing old records. “Now, enslaving teens in an impromptu musical concert in the park, that I kind of expected.” 

“Aw, give it time, babypop. I’m just looking for some song inspiration.” Danny Fenton sighed, arms crossed as he tried to figure out what to do with the ghost that was now shopping where he worked part time. Hopefully he could figure out something before his boss came back. 

“Right. Ghost in the store. That’s a new one.” Too late for that, he supposed. Both ghost and half ghost looked over to the human woman who was tiredly drinking a large cup of coffee, bright red hair stuck up in messy tufts, eyes red and bloodshot. “Do you have modern day american currency?” 

“Uh, yeah?” 

“Shop away, then. Rock against the wall, disco under the table of regret, 2000 and on by the door, and most everything else is anywhere from 50s to 90s. Have fun.” The woman walked back to where she had just emerged, Ember giving Danny a raised eyebrow. 

“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t care who shops for music, as long as they respect it and pay for it.” 

“Awesome.” Ember flipped through a few more records, glancing back up at the outfit the teen was wearing. “So, is that a work outfit? Or did your friends steal all your other clothes?” 

“Both,” Danny snorted, tugging his hat down more. He was in something that resembled skater clothes, with worn jeans, a long-sleeved white shirt with a black one over it, a worn band image on the front, and a moss green beanie with reading glasses. “I was threatened into wearing this for work, and then Owner decided that it would be my new uniform.” 

“Killer. Didn’t take you for the glasses type, though. Aesthetic, or actually needed? Oh, no way, you actually have these guys on record?” 

“Yeah, hold on, I think we got the other albums too.” Danny headed to one of the boxes of records scattered around the store, quickly pulling out a few more and handing them over. “And needed, actually, only when reading, though. Wouldn’t have realized it without GW pointing it out.” At the confused look, Danny sighed. “Ghostwriter.” 

“Oh, yeah! I heard about you being tutored by him. Kind of surprised, seeing as you were ready to kill each other at Christmas.” Danny shrugged, Ember only shaking her head in amusement. “You may be smart, babypop, but you’re still clueless as can be.” 

“Hey! I’m improving! Oh, yeah, we have a sale on classic 80s rock, since that seems like your thing.” 

“Hell yeah it is. What you got?” 

“ What  _ don’t  _ we have,” Danny snorted, gesturing to shelves of records near the counter. “There’s a few CDs on Avril Lavigne around here, too, which is also your style. Think 90s grunge with a dash of rock 80s.” Ember watched as Danny grabbed a CD and placed it in the beat up and worn boombox on the counter, flipping it on. “Thoughts?” 

“I like it. You’re being rather helpful, though. Isn’t your job usually to shove ghosts back in the Zone?” Ember was surprised to see the brief look of guilt on the teen’s face, who quickly buried it under a mask of indifference. 

“Hey, new year, new me. Careful around my place though, Mom and Dad are increasing the ghost detections areas- School, too. So you might want to pass on that message to Kitty when you see her, I know you two do those girl hang out things every few days.” 

“Johnny been complaining to you again?” 

“ Ugh, when does he ever  _ stop _ ?” Danny groaned, Ember laughing as she gathered the CDs and records she wanted, setting them on the counter for Danny to scan through. “I mean, the ‘lil cuz’ thing is bad enough, since half the school thinks I’m in a gang, but his complaining about Kitty and the girl nights. Like, having your nails painted isn’t  _ that  _ bad.” 

“Oh? What’s your favorite color?” 

“Night Ocean Blue,” Danny grinned, bagging the items and quickly giving the change back of the money the ghost handed over. “Where did you get this stuff anyways? Busking in the park?” 

“Bingo. Not that different from when I was alive, didn’t even use the mind controlling bits of the song.” Danny just shook his head, handing over the bag. 

“If you really want to make good money, try the college around noon or so. A lot of the kids over there are so uncaring they won’t even care you’re a ghost, and they love good music.” At the silence, Danny looked up, surprised by the warm look on the singer’s face. 

“I have to say...I’m starting to like the new you, babypop. You seem a lot happier.” Danny shrugged, curious as to why an image of Ghostwriter flashed through his head. “Any ghostly messages you need passed on?” 

“Yeah, actually, can you try telling your boyfriend to stop terrifying pet owners? I know he has that creepy hunting obsession of his, but keep it away from the terrified chihuahuas of the park.” Ember laughed, nodding as she gave a wave and left the shop, Danny switching CDs for a more classic rock option.

It wasn’t until he was leaving work that he realized he had effectively destroyed everything his parents had taught him about ghosts, just by trying to be friends with them, and succeeding. 

It was a good feeling. 

::

“What...happened to your hair?” 

“For all that the ghosts are getting along with humans, there’s still some fights. This one came from Paulina and Kitty having a fight over something in that weird hair dye and make up place. Paulina was less scared of the ghost, and more that she’d be out of hair dye.” 

“That doesn’t explain why your hair looks like decomposing moss.” Danny only sighed at the fingers that gently sifted through matted and tangled hair, not minding the sensation as much as he probably should have. “How...does this even happen?” 

“You should see the human side of the hair.” At the other’s curious look, Danny transformed back into his human half, hair turning a rather hideous shade of purple. It was bright and jarring, nothing like the cool colors he had come to associate with Ghostwriter and Vidya. 

“That...I have no words. I assume you’ll be dying it back to it’s proper shade?” Danny nodded tiredly, collapsing on their usual couch as soon as he was close enough. “How does this color happen…” 

“Never get between girl fights. I’m telling you now, don’t do it. You’ll regret it. All of it.” Danny sighed as he felt fingers once again trying to tame his hair, separating matts and combing through tangles. “The only good thing about today is no homework.” 

Ghostwriter decided not to ask why Danny had persisted in coming to the library, even if he had no work. It was a question he probably wouldn’t want answered, besides. “How is the truce going? I assume well, since you’ve stopped complaining so much.” 

“Ha ha,” Danny huffed, anger immediately soothed away by the gentle ruffling of his hair. “Better than I thought it would. A lot of the ghosts still stay in the Zone, like Pandora and Frostbite, and the ones who just don’t like the humans. The ones that do go out seem to be doing okay, and Amity Park is starting to get used to it, well, not including the ghost hunters- Actually, I take that back. Valerie is doing great with it, relatively speaking.” 

“The Red Huntress girl, right?” Ghostwriter was only half paying attention, mostly working on the large knot in Danny’s hair. “Honestly. Do you even brush this tangled mess of a hedge?” 

“...no. But, yeah, Val’s been doing okay with it. She’s stopped thinking all ghosts are evil, probably came from helping me rescue Dani- Dani with an I, my clone turned cousin? But yeah, after that she seemed to get a little less frigid to them, although she helps keep the others in line. They’re probably more scared of her than me.” 

“...Petit héros, your story is one that even writers would have trouble conjuring.” How the hell was this knot so thick?! Whatever hair dye had been used, it obviously wasn’t a good brand. 

“What does that mean? It’s the second time you’ve said it.” 

“Hm?” 

“Um, ‘petit’, uh, whatever.” Oh look, there was a mat of hair under the knot- Jeez, did this kid not have a brush, or what?! Judging by the way his hair was always sticking out or ruffled, he could only assume he didn’t. “GW-” 

“Don’t call me that. And it’s French, for ‘little hero’.” Ha! Knot terminated!

“You speak French?” Danny blinked as he felt Ghostwriter freeze at the question. Looking up, he was surprised to see the look on his face, a worn look that spoke of self hatred, and battles best not mentioned. It was a look he saw in the mirror everyday. 

“I used to...a long time ago.” Shaking his head, Ghostwriter gave a small smile, standing up from where he had been working on Danny’s hair. “Since you seem so intent to stay, you can help me rearrange the Astronomy section today.” The ghost laughed as the halfa was immediately transforming and following after him, looking excited. “I thought you might enjoy that.” 

Distraction was good. Distraction…kept certain truths secret. 

::

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! GODDAMMIT!” 

“If you would sit still and stop moving, it wouldn’t hurt so much!” Tucker Foley huffed at his squirming best friend, gloves on as he tried to bleach out the horrible color of Danny’s hair. “I warned you not to get involved with cat fights, and what did you do?!” 

“I got involved… But, I mean, I couldn’t just let them try to kill each other! Or at least, do their best.” Danny winced as more bleach was put onto his head, the pain making him let out a rather weak whimper. 

“ You can face Vlad, Dan, and even  _ Pariah _ , but you can’t handle a little box of hair dye? I mean, Sam handles this stuff daily! How else do you think she gets those purple streaks in her hair?” 

“ Yes, but she doesn’t use bleach for that. And the bleach  _ burns _ .” Tucker only shook his head, putting on the last bit of dye, and scrubbing it through his friend’s hair, making sure it reached to the roots where it was just as bad. “How long do I have to leave this on?” 

“Forty-five minutes, according to the box. And Sam says that after fifteen minutes, the burning of bleach goes away. By the way, did you brush your hair? It’s a lot easier to go through than I was expecting.” At the unexpected silence, Tucker looked down to his friend, surprised to see the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. “Did Jazz corner you and force a comb through your hair, again?” 

“ Ghostwriter, actually.” Ohho. This was going to be  _ great _ . “Has it been fifteen minutes yet?” 

“No, it’s been one.” Tucker rolled his eyes as he snapped his gloves off, tossing them towards the nearest chemical waste bin. They, luckily, had the Fenton Lab to themselves, which meant much better lighting. “You know what you need? You need a distraction.” 

“Oh, please no.” The whimpers of pain turned into a whine, Danny watching as his friend pulled up a stool to sit next to him, grinning widely. “What did I ever do to you?” 

“Do you want a list?” Tucker laughed at the other’s expression. “So, how are things going with Ghostwriter, anyways? The last time we saw him, we were pretty much kicked out.” 

“ That was because you almost knocked over four shelves, set a couch on fire, and tried to convince him to turn everything digital. _ I _ was ready to kick you out by the end of the day.” So far, his friends hadn’t been invited back to the library, not that Danny could blame the ghost. He wouldn’t invite them back, either. There was a reason most of them were banned from the town library, after all. 

“Yeah, yeah. Seriously though, he seemed a little antisocial. And rude. And a bit evil.” 

“ That was my first thought after I threatened his books, too,” Danny laughed, pain fading at the thought of one his newest, and closest, friends. “He’s actually really cool though, and his humor is wicked sharp. Think Sam, only less death and torture involved. And his coffee is to die for- Pun not intended, for once. Seriously though, it’s really, really good- Still hasn’t let me read his writing though, besides the Christmas Poem, which I only read  _ once _ , just out of curiosity! The style sounded familiar though, not sure why- Why am I getting that look?” 

“You...oh man, sometimes it just hurts.” There was a limit to how clueless his friend could be, and they had hit that limit when he hadn’t realized Sam’s crush on him. Luckily, they had worked that out not too long ago, and agreed that friendship was the better choice for them. “I...I don’t even know where to start with this. I really don’t.” 

“Let me know when you want to start making sense- What are you doing?” Tucker had stood up, and had his hands clapped on his friend’s shoulders, serious expression on his face. 

“Danny. You’re my best friend, and you know I care for you.” 

“I- Is this- Is this going somewhere?” He didn’t have a good feeling about this. Not at all. 

“Seriously, we’ve been like brothers since we were old enough to talk, and nothing will ever change that. Not even ghost powers, or who you like. I’m always here for you, and I’ll always listen.” Danny just nervously surveyed his surroundings, looking for a way to knock his friend out without causing any permanent harm. “I love you, even if I don’t say it.” 

“I, um, love you too, buddy?” He wondered if Tucker would be angry if he blasted him unconscious. 

“Even through your absolute cluelessness, I’ll always be here to support you, and whoever you might like. Whether they be boy, girl, ghost-”

“Wow. No. Okay. No. Let’s just. No.” His words seemed to be ignored, since the other just kept talking. 

“No matter what anyone says, the things you are experiencing, it’s completely normal, and me and Sam-” 

“Sam and I.” 

“ ME AND SAM, are never gonna stop loving you because of who  _ you  _ love! You’re our brother and friend, and you’re stuck with us until death and after!” By the time Tucker finished his speech, he saw his friend with his head in his hands, trying not to look at him. “What? I thought that was rather good, myself.” 

“ You are the worst  _ ever _ . Why- Why would you- No. Stop thinking things. He’s just a  _ friend _ .” Danny could  _ feel  _ the smile that made him look up. 

“ I never specified who you might like.” What...oh…  _ Oh _ . Well then. That...that complicated some things. Quite a few things, actually. “Come on, man, I know you’re not as clueless as everyone thinks you are.” 

“I. Wow. I am going to kill you. Remind me to kill you later, because it needs doing. I’m pretty sure Sam will even thank me for it. I’m not going to do it right away, though. Because you as a ghost would be even worse, and that’s stress I don’t need. Or want. Ever- I know, I’ll kill you right before I die. Yes. That works. As soon as I get shot to death by, I don’t know, some crazy ghost hunters, I’m making sure you follow me!”

“Fair enough,” Tucker grinned, patting his friend’s back. “I wasn’t kidding about the accepting you no matter what thing, either. Me and Sam really do love you, no matter what happens. Whether you fall in love with someone you think you shouldn’t, or turn evil. We’re behind you all the way.” Tucker watched his friend sigh, worn and tired expression on his face for a few seconds before he hid it behind a clever smirk. 

“Sam and I, Tuck. Sam and I.” Seeing the look shot his way, Danny shot back his own bright smile. “So, when do I get to wash this gunk out of my hair? I’m pretty sure it’s more painful than Val’s weapons- And let me tell you, those are pretty painful!” 

Jokes and humor. Those were easy. Distractions. Things he could hide behind...because it was so hard to find the truth behind distractions, and that was how he liked things. Distractions hid the truth.

Truth he didn’t want spoken. 


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter Six - Closer  **

** ::  **

“I offered to help you dye your hair back, but no, you wanted Tucker’s help. I warned you what would happen if you had him help. But did you listen? No. You never listen to the only one of us who has common sense. And then things like this happens. Right here.” 

“Did...did you just invite me here to complain about my horrible hair dying job? Cause, I mean, if so, I can think of better things to do.” 

“Face it, little dude, you go wherever she commands.” Danny gave a pathetic look to the barista who worked at the Skulk and Lurk, Sam’s favorite goth bookstore. 

“See? This. This is why I like him.” Danny only sighed again as he paid for the coffees, the barista only looking amused at the exchange between two of his favorite customers. 

“Aw, don’t worry, little dude. White’s a good look for you!” 

“ Yeah, and don’t I know it,” Danny snorted, tugging the skull cap on his head down even more. He had enough problems with being connected to Phantom as it was, he didn’t need his hair  _ white  _ of all things. “It’s not even white, it’s just...a really bleached blonde.” 

“ Don’t worry, I’ll help you dye it back as soon as I can. Anyways, why  _ did  _ you agree to come? Goth books aren’t usually your thing.” 

“ No, not really, but they  _ are  _ GW’s thing. I figure I can find a book for him, as thanks for giving me that extended edition of the Soundless Clock.” Danny sipped at his coffee, heading towards the darker poetry sections. He figured poetry would work, if nothing else. He also had a feeling that his friend like the more twisted variety of writing. 

“Ah, yes. That book you’ve been carrying around in your bag since you got it. How many times have you read it?” At the guilty look, Sam raised an eyebrow. “Has it been more than ten?” The nod was the only answer she needed. “This is why we worry for you. Whenever you get a new book you read it over a dozen times.” 

“It’s a talent- Hey, what do you think of this?” Sam looked at the book Danny was holding out, shaking her head as soon as she saw the title. 

“ Ugh, no, read that author. Not very good work, and pokes fun at Wiccans. I say pass.” Danny nodded, placing the book back on the shelf and continuing his browsing. “So, besides the  _ talk  _ you and Tucker had last night - the one that he filled me in on so no need denying it like you’re about to try and do - how have you been?” 

“Uh...average?” Danny shrugged, pulling a book down and flipping through a few pages, putting it back almost at once. “Am I supposed to be something else?” 

“I don’t know. I was kind of expecting the response that a tortured hipster poet would give. I mean, you’re already halfway there-” 

“Hey!” Bumping shoulders with his laughing friend, Danny shook his head. “If this is your nosy way of asking if I’m about to have a mental breakdown from ghost powers, then the answer is no. I’m stronger than I look, I’ll have you know.” 

“Trust me, Danny, no one can doubt your strength,” Sam mused, pulling her friend in for a hug, Danny only going along without complaint. “Seriously, though, you’ve been spacing out a bit more than usual. You sure everything’s fine?” 

“I...think it is.” At the look he was given, he shrugged, looking hesitant. “I...don’t know how to really explain it. Just...this feeling that I have.” 

“Okay, any idea when this ‘feeling’ started?” Sam asked, watching her friend stay silent as he flipped through a few more books, finally pulling out one that was wrapped in a leather binding, the shade of faded purple. 

“I guess it started when I made that truce with the ghosts. Things just started...feeling better, you know? I mean, not the fact that there was less fighting, it just felt like, well, like things were starting to make a bit more sense. But…” 

“But?” 

“I feel like something is starting to change, something big.” Danny shook his head, losing the flash of an image he saw that was shaded in gold. “I don’t know, it just feels like something's ending...or maybe it’s starting. I just feel like I’m still missing something, some final piece that’ll make everything click, you know?” 

“Not really,” Sam grinned, laughing at the look she was given. “Don’t worry, you’ll figure things out, you always do. Even if it’s not right until everything is going to shit.” 

“That was one time! Let it go!” 

“So says the one who has ice powers.” Danny turned a dark glare on his friend, who was biting her lip in order to contain another outburst of giggles. “Come on, Danny. Don’t be like that. Just...let it go.” 

“I hate you and Tucker both.” 

“Love you too, dork. Now come on, let’s go pay for this book, so you can give it to that weird tutor of yours.” 

::

Danny Phantom was making his usual rounds over Amity Park, annoyed at the looks of shock he was given by humans and ghosts alike. Apparently, bleach blonde hair, when inverted, became a rather terrible shade of a color that looked stuck between purple and blue. 

He did not like it. 

“Get back here, ghost!” At the familiar harsh yells, Danny immediately jerked around, ready to raise a shield, only to see...nothing. Hearing more screaming, he quickly followed the source, cursing at seeing his parents were chasing Youngblood. “We may not have been able to see you before, but with these new goggles, you aren’t going anywhere!” 

That explained why he could be seen then- Although not why he was being chased in the first place. Diving down to where the chase was going on, Danny quickly threw up a shield, blocking the attacks. Tapping into his ice core, he formed a dome around them. It wouldn’t hold up for long, but it would be long enough for Danny to make sure the other ghost was okay. 

“Hey, Youngblood, you alright?” He was shocked to see the ghost was shaking, and curled up on the ground, looking like nothing more than the small child he was. Biting his lip, Danny quickly bent down, trying to be as soothing as possible. “Hey, it’s alright. Just me. Are you hurt anywhere?” 

“They shot my parrot.” And wow, that...that kind of hurt. That heartbroken and childish voice. Shaking it off, Danny helped the ghost up, feeling a protective surge fill him at seeing the scorch marks on the other’s arm, and the tears that kept coming. 

“I’m sure he’s looking for you, right now. We’ll go find him, okay?” Finally getting a nod, Danny smiled, picking the small ghost up, and glancing back at the dome that was almost broken through. Tapping into his powers, he quickly formed a clone, going invisible as the dome broke. As expected, his parents chased the clone that quickly flew off, Danny left with a still sniffling Youngblood. 

“They shot him when he tried to protect me, and then there was a net. We were playing near the park.” Danny nodded, heading to the park, carefully holding the young ghost in his arms. 

“So, what character are you today?” He guessed it was a prince, judging by the crown, but distracting him was better than letting him get too panicked. 

“Prince. We were playing with a bunch of other kids, when the hunters showed up. The other parents showed up then, too, and I had to leave...I was having fun, though.” Danny had always had differences between him and his parents, but he wasn’t ready for the wave of hatred he felt towards them in that moment. 

“Ah, hey! Down here, lil cuz!” Danny blinked at seeing Johnny and Kitty, who were working to untangle Youngblood’s parrot, who was shifted into a large dog. “Found him like this, figured Youngblood couldn’t be far behind- What happened to your hair?” 

“Ask your girlfriend and her obsessive need for hair care products,” Danny snorted, setting Youngblood down and slicing the rest of the net off, making sure the two weren’t badly hurt. The now skeletal dog seemed a little battered, but overall he was alright. “Don’t you think being a dog when you’re made out of bones is a little ironic?” 

“Oh, bite me.” Danny chuckled, forcing his change back to human and slipping off his backpack, thankful he had chosen to carry it with his first-aid kit today. Luckily, after so many fights, he knew how to treat ghost wounds, too. 

“Alright, come here, you brat. Let me see that arm. By the way, Kitty, have there been any more problems with the hunters that you’ve heard of?” 

“Not really, we usually know when to avoid them, and how to hide. Your parents, though...they’re starting to get better at finding us.” Danny sighed, hoping he had been wrong. 

“Yeah, and that’s what worries me… Alright, Youngblood, all bandaged up. You know, if you ask nicely, Johnny might give you a ride back on his motorcycle.” 

“Whoa- Really?!” Immediately Johnny had to deal with an overexcited ghost child and dog, Danny chuckling as he changed back into Phantom. 

“Didn’t think you’d be the type to be good with kids,” Kitty grinned, Danny giving a shrug. “Ghostwriter certainly is lucky. Now if we could just get you two past this cluelessness.” 

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Danny muttered quietly, waving off Kitty’s confused look, and smiling. “Anyways, can you make sure he gets home? I want to finish up this patrol.” Kitty nodded, waving goodbye as Danny flew off. The teen waited until he was in the sky to finally show his distress, hands nervously running through his hair and tugging. “Just in your head, Phantom…

“Just...in your head.” 

::

“Hey, Danny, what are you doing home so- Are you alright?” Jazz had seen her brother angry on plenty of occasions, but this one looked almost...murderous. And the angry way he threw his backpack wasn’t helping in reassuring her. “Did something happen on patrol?”

“Yeah, the two idiot ghost hunters downstairs thought it would be a good idea to try and go after Youngblood. And judging by that burn on his arm, they weren’t just trying to capture him. Do you know where they are?” 

“Still out, why?” Jazz watched as Danny turned into his ghost half, green eyes glaring at the basement that rested below their feet. “Danny...what are you planning…” 

“ Fenton Works is about to get ransacked by Phantom. A clear message that he doesn’t like it when innocent ghosts are  _ hunted _ .” In a flash the teen disappeared, Jazz already hearing the sounds of frustration and destruction. She had a feeling that after this he would be going straight to Ghostwriter’s. 

Sighing, she reached for a notebook and pencil, scribbling a note to Ghostwriter and slipping it into the front pouch on Danny’s bag, an easy way for the ghost to see it. Waiting until she heard silence, she grabbed the bag and headed for the steps, letting out a low whistle at what she saw, “You really did a number on this place, huh?” 

“Did wonders for relieving stress,” Danny shrugged, accepting his bag and slipping it on, starting up the ghost portal. “I’m gonna go visit a friend-” 

“That ghostly tutor of yours, right?” Danny paused, looking slightly worried as he looked over to Jazz. 

“I never told you he was a ghost…” He had been worried Jazz would overreact, hence the reason he hadn’t told her that his new friend and tutor was one of the ghosts. 

“I know, but luckily Clockwork did.” At her brother’s startled expression, she let out a laugh. “He, at least, understands about reassuring me when it comes to you and your trouble.” Danny nervously smiled, scratching the back of his head. Jazz just waved him off. “Go on, I’ll do damage control here.” 

“Thanks, Jazz.” 

A quick wave, and Danny was through the portal, heading to Vidya on a path he had quickly memorized. It was only a few minutes until he touched down, doors opening and Vidya happily playing in his head. “Hey, Vidya.” Flying through the doors, he glanced around, Vidya tugging him towards the upper level. “Hey, GW!” 

“How many times must I ask you not to call me that?” Danny only grinned as he found the writer, seeing books scattered around him, and, surprisingly enough, a sleek laptop. 

“I didn’t know you used a laptop?” A glance showed multiple writing documents up before Ghostwriter quickly closed the screen, rolling his eyes at Danny’s pouting. 

“I figured it would be more prudent to get one than repeat what happened last time.” Ghostwriter cleared off a space with a flick of his fingers, books and papers stacking themselves into neat piles as Danny sat himself down. 

“And did you happen to get this expensive looking laptop legally?” 

“ Depends on your definition of legal, I suppose. Also, I thought you were supposed to be  _ fixing  _ your hair.” Danny sighed, slipping his bag off and letting himself change into his human form, glaring at the laugh Ghostwriter let out. “White is at least a good look for you.” 

“It’s not white. Just super bleached blonde… Tucker and I didn’t really know what we were doing, so, bleach. And then. Yeah. This. Also I’m stealing one of the couches for the next few hours.” 

“Dare I ask why?” He supposed the yawn was answer enough, especially when Danny started heading for one of the couches without changing back into his ghost side. “You have been sleeping, haven’t you?” 

“Yes. I just needed to get a little revenge on my parents by trashing their lab.” 

“Ah, was this about what happened with Youngblood?” At the look he was given, Ghostwriter grinned. “Never underestimate Kitty’s speed when it comes to spreading news.” 

“Uuggghh. I so need that nap now.” Ghostwriter shook his head as Danny disappeared around the corner, just catching sight of the piece of paper sticking out of the teen’s bag with his name on it. Pulling it out and opening it, he was surprised to see it was from the boy’s sister. 

“Ah, so a little more stressed than he let on…” He wasn’t too surprised, it was easy to see how close Danny was getting to the others ghosts, and how protective he was over those he thought of as friends. And from what he had seen, he had never particularly gotten along with his parents to begin with. As it was, he was probably more stressed than he let on...

Well, he just couldn’t have that, now could he? 

When Danny woke up from his nap, which had been longer than he had expected, it was to the sight of what looked like manuscripts. Dozens of them. “What...” Pushing himself up, he reached for the nearest one, surprised to see it  _ was  _ manuscripts. 

Uneven words that could only be from a typewriter lined countless pages, along with multiple colors of pen marking things out, adding things in, and jotting down notes. Confused as he was, it took several seconds to notice the name on the one he was holding. 

“I never quite expected to meet someone who loved those books as much as you. It was a pleasant surprise.” Ghostwriter laughed at the startled and shocked expression he was given, deciding that his plan had been a good one. “You thought Andrea’s story was rough? You should have seen her mother’s in the drafts of the prequel.” 

“ There- You- But-” Danny looked from the manuscripts in front of him, to the grinning friend that was floating a few feet away. “I  _ knew  _ your writing sounded familiar!” 

“When did you read my writing- Books not included, of course.” At the embarrassed look, Ghostwriter curiously tilted his head, Danny finally huffing. 

“I might have read the stupid christmas poem, okay.” A glance up showed Ghostwriter’s ridiculously huge and happy smile, a sight that Danny was surprised to find that he quite enjoyed seeing. “Oh god...this means you heard...all my ramblings.” Danny groaned, hiding his face behind one of the couch pillows, blush growing as he heard that increasingly familiar laugh. 

“No need to be embarrassed, Danny. I’m quite flattered.” 

“Yeah, yeah- Wait...you- You just called me Danny.” Looking up, he was surprised to see Ghostwriter was smiling warmly at him, eyes still shining with laughter. 

“Well, that is your name, oui?” Danny only nodded, watching the ghost laugh and walk away. It was a few minutes of looking at the manuscripts before Danny finally realized what had happened, blush coming back full force, and worse than ever. 

“Oh...oh no…” 

He was doomed. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact : While writing the end I was listening to 'Just Gold', a FNAF song on youtube.

** Chapter Seven - Tired  **

** ::  **

“ For the last time, Danny,  _ no _ .” Ghostwriter would do many things for his young student, in fact, the number of things he was willing to do was pathetically long, and growing longer with each new day, but this was where he drew the line. 

“GW-” 

“Don’t-” 

“ _ GW _ \- I am  _ begging  _ you here! If I don’t find someone to go on me with this camping trip, I’ll be  _ doomed _ . I mean, this school hiking trip thing is just the extra credit boost I need to raise my grade! It’s March and I’m almost out of time- Don’t you care about my grades?!” That was low. It was so low, even Danny realized it was low. “ _ Please _ .” 

“Why do you need someone to accompany you?” Hearing the intake of breath, Ghostwriter let out a sigh. He was going to regret asking, he could feel it. 

“ It’s a three day weekend and that was the only time the hiking trip could take place but Tucker’s already doing something with the AV club so he can’t come and Sam has this protest of her’s that she can’t miss because she practically put it together and Valerie is spending quality time with her dad and I  _ can’t  _ push my problems on her and break that up and if I don’t bring someone with me then I can’t come and that means no extra credit and that means no passing grade and that means I have to repeat the year and maybe even drop out when they get sick of me and I’ll be a lazy hobo who only appears for ghost fights and I’ll die in the alleyway one day with no one knowing what happened to me just vague mentions of ‘oh yeah that hobo guy who never made it cause his friend wouldn’t help him-’” 

Danny was stopped from further explaining by the hands over his mouth, Ghostwriter looking equally pained and amused. “I...am impressed by how little breath you needed for that.” Danny tugged the other’s hands away by the wrists, giving the most pathetic look he could manage. 

“ Come on,  _ please _ . It’s only three days in the human world, then you can go back to your antisocial behavior!” Ghostwriter only shook his head, slipping out of Danny’s hold and continuing his search for the reference books he had been looking for. He was stopped by a sudden weight around his shoulders, a glance back showing Danny looking even more pathetic. “Do I really have to keep begging?” 

Oh, no. That look...it...Ghostwriter could  _ feel  _ himself breaking and crumbling. He could also feel that list of things he was willing to do grow by one. “In case you haven’t noticed, not only am I much older than you in appearance, I also happen to be a  _ ghost _ . I’m rather certain your teacher would notice that fact.” 

“Please, GW-” This time he was only interrupted by a sigh. “-You think I haven’t thought of that? I have the perfect solution to make you look human, my age, and even mask your ghost signature! All you have to do is say you’ll go with me.” Danny had slipped off from around Ghostwriter’s shoulders at that point, standing in front of him and looking as cute as he possibly could. 

“I…” Ghostwriter was weak. He was so weak… No. No, he could resist this. He had been through two peaceful decades of silence, and then a persistent halfa had wormed his way into his life- No! He could fight this!

“Please… I can’t do this on my own…” 

::

“I merely put this on...and I appear human?” Ghostwriter was standing with Danny near the edge of the school, a bright yellow schoolbus already in sight. 

“Yup!” The ghost was holding a sleek silver bracelet, hardly half an inch thick, with a strange green shine to it. The bracelet was obviously a ghostly artifact, something long lost - although how Danny had come by it, Ghostwriter had no idea. “Borrowed it from my mentor! He was grinning like crazy, so he’s probably up to something, but whatever. Anyways, just slip it on, picture yourself as the age you want to be, and then you look like you do when you were alive, or so he said. He also said to forget the scars, whatever that means.” 

“He said what?!” Ghostwriter suddenly paused, eyes narrowing. “Danny...who is your mentor?” 

“Clockwork.” That timekeeping bastard from the depths of the void! Ghostwriter must have let slip the swear in French, since Danny was giving him a strange look. “Know him?” 

“Unfortunately…” Sighing, the ghost slipped the bracelet on, illusion appearing on him in moments. “Hm, I don’t remember my skin being quite so dark.” A glance showed he looked relatively the same as his ghost form, only at the age of sixteen, as well as tanned skin, and a strange sensation from his teeth. “Oh, please don’t tell me.” 

“You...have braces.” Ghostwriter shot a dark look to Danny, which did nothing in helping him hold back laughter. “I never knew...you used to wear braces.” 

“It was a time I’d rather forget, for more than one reason.” Sighing, and running a hand through his hair in aggravation, Ghostwriter grabbed his student’s arm and began pulling him along. “Let’s just get this terrible trip over with.” 

“ You...sound so cute with braces…” Danny was wheezing as he tried to keep his breath even, body shaking with the effort. It was hardly his fault if little Ghostwriter with a lisp sounded  _ adorable _ . Oh, he so wished the camera on his phone was working right now. 

“ Please remember I have access to all my powers in this form, reality bending and otherwise.” As if to demonstrate, Danny yelped at the sharp shock of power to his arm. Squashing down the immediate panic of being shocked that  _ felt so similar to those currents he could see it his mind and it hurt hurt hurt and all he could do was scream scream scream,  _ he gave a glare to the ghost. 

“Rude.” The smile he was given was far less cute, this time around. Arriving at the bus, where Lancer was checking off names, it was easy to see that they were the last two to arrive. Seeing the A-Listers, though, he had to hide a groan. He thought with their grades being so high, thanks to the nerds, he wouldn’t have to worry about them on this trip. “Hi, Mr. Lancer.” 

“Ah, young Mister Fenton. I was surprised to hear your sister wouldn’t be joining us today, she usually enjoys these extra credit outings.” 

“Yeah, but, you know, she’s starting to really get ready for college exams and stuff. But, uh, I did find someone to go with me.” At this point, Danny dragged over Ghostwriter, who had been contemplating escape. At the teacher’s curious look, he gave his own smile. “He’s also the one who’s been helping tutor me.” 

“Ah! So you’re the reason his grades have been improving, I must say, I’m quite impressed.” Lancer studied the teenager in front of him, looking no older than most of his students. “You don’t go to Casper?” 

“No, I tested out of high school quite a few years ago. As of now, I take a few courses at the local college, online, of course. I ran into Danny at the library, and when I found out about his grades, I offered my help. He’s a very smart student, when he puts his mind to it.” Lancer nodded at the information, glancing at the young Fenton for confirmation. He wasn’t surprised to see the bright blush on his student’s face. 

“Well then, you two, go ahead and board- Ah, I don’t believe I quite got your name, however.” 

“Michael Anderson.” Lancer nodded and made a note on his papers, curious as to why Danny looked ready to break out laughing. “Thank you, Mr. Lancer.” As soon as they were seated on the bus, Danny finally broke, sounding like he was laughing without trying to make noise. 

“Michael. I can’t- You gave him one of your pen names! Freaking M. J. Anderson.” Ghostwriter shrugged, slipping the messenger bag off that was around his shoulders, and setting it down between them on the seats. 

“I panicked and said whatever name came to mind first. It happened to be that one.” Slipping out a well worn notebook, Danny watched him flip through it, take his pen out, and start writing. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the type who reads over people’s shoulders.” 

“What reading? I can’t read French! ...That is French, right?” 

“ Oui, ce est bien français.” Danny gave a light glare to his friend, who only gave his own bright smile. It was a challenge to not bring up the braces again, because, really,  _ adorable _ . “It is quite rare for me to write in French, however. As I said, you cause unexpected things to happen quite frequently.” 

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Danny grinned, falling into his friend’s side as the bus jerkily started up. He didn’t bother moving, considering he was quite tired, and Ghostwriter was quite comfortable. “You know, I always wondered why they never put seat belts on every bus, I mean, isn’t that a safety hazard, or something?” He looked over to see his friend’s warm and familiar smile. “What?” 

“You truly do voice whatever is on your mind, don’t you?” Danny shrugged, glancing out the window to see they were heading for the highway, trip officially underway. 

“Just distractions…” 

::

“ So,  _ Fenturd _ , I see you brought another nerd on this trip, just like you!” 

“I’m a geek, not a nerd, thank you. Him though, yeah, he’s a nerd.” Danny grinned at the elbow to his side. “Aw, come on, can’t we all just get along? You know, enjoy the beauty of nature and all that?” He supposed the glare he was given was answer enough. 

“ I swear, Fenton, if  _ one  _ creepy thing happens on  _ this  _ trip, I’m blaming you!” Dash yelled, going back to where the others were lingering around the camping area, complaining about a lack of cabins. 

“Delightful sort, isn’t he?” Ghostwriter mused, Danny letting out a laugh. “The urge to push him into a bush of poison ivy is certainly tempting. If I wasn’t so mature, I would tell you that there are three separate bushes scattered around those groups of trees, right over there.” Danny gave his friend a look, eyebrow slightly raised. 

“Did you just tell me to throw Dash into poison ivy?” 

“ Perish the thought, I merely pointed out a troublesome plant. What you do with it is your own business.” Ghostwriter rolled his eyes as an arm was thrown around his shoulders in a light hug. “I am curious though, what did he mean by  _ this  _ trip?” 

“Let’s just say the last camping trip we went on as a class didn’t end well. Walker and woods, ugh.” Danny gave a shudder. “Bad memories.” 

“ So it seems.” Glancing back over to the A-Listers, who were all glaring at either him or Danny, Ghostwriter slowly smiled. He had a feeling this was going to be a  _ very  _ fun trip. 

Danny never said he couldn’t use his ghost powers, after all. 

After the teens were briefed on how to stay safe in the woods, which almost every teen ignored, they were paired up to put together tents. “Wouldn’t sleeping in the trees be more practical? Less chance of predators attacking.” 

“ Yes, but not everyone can climb trees, or sleep in them- What even  _ is  _ this piece?” Danny was bent over the instructions with tent poles in hand, looking confused and unsure. At a glance, the other teens were doing as poorly as them. “Plus, you know, a lot of kids would be falling out of them.” 

“A greater meal for the predators, then.” At the horrified look he was given, he shrugged. “Merely my opinion on the matter.” 

“Please don’t sacrifice my classmates to the wild beasts of the woods.” 

“ I make no promises. Also, you're reading the instructions upside down.” Ghostwriter laughed as Danny cursed in Latin once he realized he had indeed been reading them wrong. “I’m surprised. I thought you  _ would  _ be the camping sort.” 

“Ugh, camping trips never end well for me. Ever.” Once he had the instructions placed in a way he could read them, Danny quickly had their tent put together, Ghostwriter nudging pieces into their proper places in the spots Danny missed. “Every time it ends with a ghost attack.” 

“Surely not-” 

“ _ Every. Time _ .” 

“This is sure to be a very interesting few days, then.” 

“Stop planning their deaths.” 

“Something has to give me joy on this trip.” 

::

“I believe your teachers are trying to kill us.” 

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about that then, huh?” Danny ignored the glare shot his way, instead choosing to poke at the bowl of oatmeal they had all been given. “I think this stuff is deadly. I should destroy it.” 

“ I refuse to eat this. Being forced back into braces is bad enough, I refuse to make things worse.” Danny glanced over at his friend, amused by how adorable he looked when pouting. “Laugh. I  _ dare  _ you.” 

“I value whatever is left of my life, thank you. Seriously though, I never knew you had braces growing up...actually, there’s a lot I don’t know about you.” Danny looked to his friend, who only shrugged and continued staring at the ground. “Yes, ignore the hint that we should have deep emotional conversation. That’s a good thing in friendships, you know.” 

“You still need work on your sentence structure, as well as the arrangement and delivery of information.” Ghostwriter sighed at the pouting half-ghost teen that was suddenly pressed against his side, looking as pathetic as possible. “There’s not much to know. I was born in France, I had braces and glasses, I lived in England for a few years, and I died shortly after moving to the United States.” 

“ Yes. That’s so descriptive. I feel like I know  _ so much  _ about you.” Danny ignored the glare he was given. “Come on- Wait- How come you don’t have an accent if you lived in France and England?” 

“Because I’ve spent near two decades in the Ghost Zone around those who have American accents, and I never truly talked much, so I assume I lost it over time.” Seeing the pout that was still being give to him, he rolled his eyes. “Abandon your hope now, petit héros.” 

“Seriously? Just tell me one thing that you don’t tell most people! Connect with the heart, man!” 

“You first,” Ghostwriter snorted, absently dumping his bowl of oatmeal into the campfire they had started not long ago. It wasn’t too surprising when the flames changed color for a few brief seconds. 

“ I’m scared of ghosts.” Wait...what? The question must have been clear on his face, since Danny gave a bright smile. “Yep! I’ve been terrified of them since I was little, hard not to, with ghost hunters as parents. I’m utterly, completely terrified. Why do you think I started saying ‘going ghost’ to begin with? I was fourteen, just starting life, and found out I had become something I had nightmares about since I was old enough to talk… I say that phrase  _ because  _ it’s foolish, and ridiculous, and childish! If I made it seem like a joke, or a gift, then...I don’t know. Maybe at one point I’d stop being afraid.” 

“You’re scared of ghosts...and yet you fought them for so long?” 

“Someone had to protect the others, why not the one who could?” Danny shrugged, not noticing he was now completely pressed against his friend’s side, the cool chill the ghost gave off much more comforting than the roaring fire. “Besides, I’m getting better about it. I don’t fear ghosts so much anymore, especially softies like you.” Danny laughed at the flick he got to his forehead. 

“I started writing because I didn’t like my life.” Seeing he had the teen’s attention, Ghostwriter sighed. No going back now, he supposed. “There were many moments of growing up where I was scared that I wouldn’t even survive… Writing helped me escape that feeling of fear. I had no intentions of publishing what I wrote, it was just something that happened.” 

“Well, I’m glad you did. The Soundless Clock is by far my favorite book of yours, and Andrea and Peter may have made me cry a little bit.” At the gleeful look he was given, Danny huffed. “A little! Hardly my fault your writing is good enough to force people into crying.” 

“You should have seen my brother after reading them.” Ghostwriter laughed at the incredulous look he was given. “He’s a ghost too, so you’ll probably see him at one point, although I hope you don’t. He’s rather...annoying, to put it mildly. His name is Randy, however, and I wish for nothing more than to strangle him.” 

“Sounds like your typical sibling relationship, then,” Danny grinned, laughing at the dramatic sigh he was given. “See, sharing and caring! We’re gonna be great friends, GW!” 

“You’re never going to stop calling me that, are you?” 

“Nope. Never.” 

::

“Just two more days. Just two more days. Just two more days.” 

“I don’t believe lake monsters counts as ghosts, if that makes you feel better.” Judging by the way Danny was still nervously pacing around the lake, Ghostwriter decided that it didn’t. “I don’t see why you’re so panicked, everyone survived.” 

“Yeah, with minor psychological trauma!” 

“A few visits to therapists and they’ll be fine.” Ghostwriter shrugged at the incredulous look he was given. “Pardon me for not having sympathy to the teens who bully you daily.” 

“ Humans, GW.  _ Humans _ . We can’t just let them die out here!” 

“Says the ghost with the obsession to protect!” 

“I don’t have an obsession!” Danny snapped, eyes flashing green for a moment. “I just… Ugh, forget it. I’m going to make sure no one’s broken down crying, yet.” Watching the other walk off, Ghostwriter sighed and closed his book. It seemed Danny was still wary of ghosts, no matter what he said about accepting them better. 

“ I blame you for this mess, blasted Timekeeper.” Honestly. Standing up, he quickly caught up to Danny, who was muttering under his breath and nervously running his hands through his hair. “If you keep doing that, you  _ will  _ go bald one day.” 

“Great. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about!” Giving a sigh, Ghostwriter grabbed his friend’s wrists, tugging his hands away from the crazy mess of hair. “I’m fine! Leave me to my panicked pacing in peace!” 

“I know you, Danny. You aren’t just worried about the attack on the students.” Ghostwriter almost wished he hadn’t spoken, considering the look he was being given. He forgot that for as mature as Danny was, he was still a young teen. One who had been forced to grow up far too soon. “Pourquoi devez-vous être inattendue, mon petit…” 

“Huh?” 

“Nothing, just...is there anything I can do to help? You deal with enough stress as it is, I hardly think you should be taking on more.” Danny only shook his head, putting on as best a smile as he could. 

“Well, you know, hugs are always welcome.” It was a joke, or at least he had meant it to be one. He was therefore surprised when he was quickly wrapped up in a hug, warmth chasing away the lingering pain behind his head, and the images of death that lurked behind his eyes. “I was joking, you know.” Even as he said it, his arms returned the hug just as tightly. 

“I know.” 

::

_ Pain and death and pain and death and no matter where he looked it was just those two things it was pain and death everywhere and streaks of gold and purple and red and green and blue and it hurt it hurt i _ _** t hurt so badly  ** _ _ and why wouldn’t this stop?! He kept begging for it to stop but it just kept getting worse and worse and worse and it hurt and everything hurt  _ _** and his baCK WAS BREAKING AND SOMETHING WAS KILLING HIM  ** _

_ Gold gold gold gold gold everything was awash and sickly and dying and all he saw was gold and a voice that was so like his was crying out for help and forgiveness and begging him to run and not be caught by the trails of chaos that nipped and chased at heels with teeth grown sharp and tongues forked wide and please please please he just wanted to sleep and rest and for this to all go away but he couldn’t escape he could never escape he was trapped ever since that day ever since that slip ever since that button and  _

_ Click  _

“Danny? Are you alright?” 

_ And it would never end right how could it ever end right and he was so sick of it so sick of everything and why was this all left to him!? Why did he have to be the hero?! He was just a kid! Scorned and jaded and angry and wanting revenge for what had done this to him and HE DIDN’T WANT THIS ANYMORE he was so sick of it all and why should he bother anymore what was the point who cares if the ghosts faded or the humans died  _ _** wHy shOUlD hE caRe?!  ** _

“Danny… Danny!” 

_ He should just make them all suffer he could do it too he knew he could do it he was more powerful than them all he was strong he could do it he could do it he could do it there was no one standing in his way and if they did then he would  _ _** crush  ** _ _ them scream and scream and scream until there was nothing left and he was the only one there and maybe silence maybe finally finally finally finally there would be nothing but blessed blessed silence and he could just  _

“En sortir, mon cher!”

_ He didn’t need any of them no not one single one why should he he was so used to being alone why should anything matter after this he didn’t care he didn’t care HE DIDN’T CARE HE DIDN’T CARE  _ _** HE DIDN’T CARE HE JUST WANTED THIS ALL TO END HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE SURVIVED THAT PORTAL HE WISHED HE HADN'T  ** _ _ and he was just...so tired…he...so tired…  _

“Danny, please!” 

_ But he couldn’t fall asleep yet could he no not him he was the hero and he had to keep going he had to keep pushing through and he was so so so tired and he just didn’t see the point anymore his friends and family sure but they would be fine without him and what was the point no one needed him no one needed his protection but...that wasn’t true right...someone did need him with a flash of purple and a gray scarf and a worried expression and a small smile that was meant for him and him alone and maybe… Just… Just a while longer. Just a bit longer. He was tired but...just...a bit longer…  _

Danny blinked, groaning at the pain he felt dragging him down. “Why...do I feel like I just faced Pariah? Jeez, did I get knocked out, again? I can’t tell you how many times that happens! If I get one more concussion then- GW? Hey, you okay?” 

“ Don’t do that again.” Danny frowned at the rough voice, surprised to see that the ghost had dropped his human illusion, and now that he looked, he was in his own ghost form. “ _ Never  _ do that again, mon cher.” 

“I...what did I do?” Ghostwriter only hugged him closer at the question, Danny confusedly looking around the area, surprised to see that trees had been leveled, and it looked like a ghost fight had taken place. “GW? What...I don’t remember anything…” 

Just gold. 


	8. Conflict

** Chapter Eight - Conflict  **

** ::  **

“ Yes, keep staring at me, I’m sure that’ll solve  _ everything _ .” The rest of the Casper High extra credit hiking trip had finished with little disaster, leaving Danny to deal with an overly worried Ghostwriter the entire time. He had reached his limit half a day ago. “I get enough overprotectiveness from Jazz, I don’t need it from you, too, you know.” 

“ You destroyed over an acre of woods and  _ don’t remember _ . I believe that warrants my worry, Danny.” So, okay, the ghost may have had a point. A  _ small  _ point. “Are you-” 

“Ask if I’m alright again. See what happens.” Glancing over to see the hurt look shot his way, the fight immediately drained out of him. “Sorry...I just… Strange things happening comes with being half-ghost, but not stuff like this… All I remember is going to sleep, you still awake and writing in that notebook of yours, and then...waking up in my ghost form with you freaking out.” 

“ Do you perhaps think it has something to do  _ with  _ you being half ghost?” At the questioning look, Ghostwriter let out a sigh. “I know you don’t like to think about it, but you are half human, and half ghost. Half living, and half dead...by all means, you shouldn’t be possible.” 

“ So you think my body is finally starting to destabilize after the extreme stress caused by my constant state of switching between life and death?” Danny really could not stop the laugh at the startled expression he was given. “This isn’t my first time thinking about stuff like this, GW. I always thought about it, and meeting and helping my little cousin only made it worse… I mean… How does someone deal with something like this? You’re right, I shouldn’t be possible...I’m something that shouldn’t  _ exist _ .” 

“I never said that.” Danny sighed, leaning into the other’s side. He was surprised when the ghost quickly wrapped an arm around him, giving him as best a hug as he could while they were crowded together on a bus seat. 

“Did that bonding trip into the woods make you an even bigger softie?” 

“Never call it that again.” Ghostwriter found he wasn't as annoyed as he should be, most likely because Danny was laughing, and that was a much better look on him than worried frowns. “Surely there is someone you can talk to about this?” 

“Not really. I mean, the only other half ghost is the fruitloop that is Vlad, and he got his powers from ecto-acne and years in the hospital. Mine came from getting shocked by the Fenton Portal to near death... No one else would ever really-” Danny suddenly paused, grin slowly forming on his face. “Actually…

“I think I know just who to talk to.” 

::

“Sneaking up on someone who can see time, Daniel, often does not lead to a promising outcome.” 

“Boo, you’re no fun.” Clockwork only sighed as Danny wrapped himself around his shoulders, much like a small child would do to their parent. “So, I guess you know why I’m here?” 

“Ghostwriter will tell you his human name in due time.” Clockwork grinned at the pout shot his way. “Instead, we should be talking about the acre of dead trees.” 

“Yeaaah. Was sort of hoping you might be able to explain that.” Seeing the look on his mentor’s face, Danny floated around to face him, looking worried. “You...can explain that, right? I mean, you see everything-” 

“Not everything, Daniel. Not even a timekeeper can see all there is to see...just pieces of the puzzle that we try our best to put together.” Clockwork watched the teen sigh, dropping a few more inches out of the air. “I’m not sure what you saw, Daniel, but whatever it was...I don’t believe it was good.” 

“ All I remember...is the color gold.” Flashes of pain and death and rage and hurt and confusion and anger  _ and everything he ever feared thrown back in his face and it hurt so much and  _ “ Gold...and screaming.” Blinking at the plate of cookies that was hovering in front of him, Danny gratefully took one. “Is that your solution to upset ghosts? Give them cookies?” 

“Upset children, it is.” Clockwork sighed at seeing Danny only look more miserable. “Is that all you remember? Finding out what you saw when in that state may help us figure out why it caused you to act as you did.” 

“ I don’t know, it felt...like looking at everything through frosted glass. It was so...distant. Things were moving too quickly, too fast, and it  _ hurt _ .” Pain and death and rage  _ and a hurt little boy cloaked in colors of grey and green who cared for a man of purple and red and who only wanted to help and was beaten and broken and built to hate and a scared little boy dressed in colors of blue and black who cared for a man of purple and gray and who only wanted to help and was  _ “ Do you think history always repeats?” 

“I think history is something we should learn from, and the lessons we can be taught can be used to better ourselves. I believe those who don’t learn from what has happened, are doomed to make the same mistakes, and risk the same failure.” Clockwork worriedly watched as Danny retreated to his usual seat, curling up into as small a ball as he could manage. “Daniel?” 

“Do you know when I’m going to die?” 

“I- What?” Clockwork had not been expecting that question, and as a timekeeper, that rather worried him. “Daniel, what are you talking about?” 

“I mean...half living, half dead...it’s bound to happen at some point, right? I mean, sooner than most. Maybe whatever happened is just the start, and all the changing I did between Fenton and Phantom just sped it up. Vlad’s had his powers and been okay for twenty years, but my powers came too suddenly, he had time to adjust and I...didn’t. 

“ Maybe I’m destabilizing, I mean...I shouldn’t be possible...that ghost portal shouldn’t have changed me. Electricity and a gateway to the unknown? No...that shouldn’t have been what changed me… That should have been what  _ killed  _ me.” 

He remembered that day so well, as if it was fresh in his mind. He supposed it was something he would always remember, seeing as how it was the day he had died. That was just it, though, he  _ should  _ have died, but he didn’t… Instead he was just...stuck. Between lives, between worlds, between the border- 

“Daniel.” Blinking up at Clockwork, who was suddenly floating in front of him, Danny tilted his head curiously. “I may not know what is happening to you at the moment, but I know you shouldn’t let it drag you down. For now, at least, there is nothing to worry about.” 

“Clockwork...you’re a terrible liar…” 

::

“Ah, Danny, there you are. We need to talk.” 

Danny Fenton looked to his mother, quickly calculating his chances of escape. It didn’t take a genius to realize his chances were dismal, at best. “Is this...about the lab? Because I don’t know how much cleaning I can manage when it’s been trashed by a ghost.” And wow, yeah, he should probably try not to sound so happy about that. Still, at least the ghosts had gotten a short reprieve from being attacked daily. 

“ No, it’s not about the lab- Although we  _ will  _ be talking about that.” Joy. “We think it’s time you took a more active interest in ghost hunting.” Oh...this conversation was not going to end well. He could just  _ feel  _ it. 

“Um...is this...a conversation we have to have right-”

“Sit.” Well, that was one thing he could say about his mom. She was utterly terrifying when she wanted to be. Sighing, and deciding he could always fake an emergency school project with his friends, he dropped into the seat at the kitchen table. He also noticed his dad wasn’t there, strangely enough. 

“ Where’s dad at? He usually loves giving these talks.” The point to the basement door was all he needed. “Ah. Still trying to rebuild the weapons?” So, he may have gone a bit overboard on his destruction of the lab. He regretted  _ nothing _ . “So, um, what about ghost hunting are we talking about, again?” 

“ You, and your lack of involvement.” Oh the irony of that statement. “You’ll be sixteen soon, and you have yet to even take an  _ interest  _ in what it is we do-” 

“I take interest!” Just not in ways she knew about. “I just- I guess I’ve been focusing on school and stuff.” 

“Your report cards say otherwise.” Ouch. That was low. “I’ve let you grow up and become your own person, but it’s time you realize that you will one day be taking over Fenton Works, and carrying on our work.” 

“And what work is that? Destroying all ghosts?” 

“ Yes, it is.” Danny would have liked to say that he didn’t feel the utter terror those words brought, as it was, however, they made him sink down in his chair a little bit more. “I don’t think you quite understand just how  _ deadly  _ these monsters are. They will not be bargained with, nor reasoned with. They are beings of limited thought and intelligence, only possessing enough to trap humans like a predator with prey!” 

“ Yeah, well, they aren’t...they aren’t  _ all  _ bad. I mean, a lot of the ghosts around town seem okay, not attacking anyone, and Phantom-” 

“ Phantom is the  _ worst  _ of them.” Ooh, this would not end well for him. “He’s the worst  _ because  _ he’s so clever. He’s worked to endear himself to the town, to try and gain our trust. Why would a  _ ghost  _ need trust? As soon as he’s bored of this game of  _ heroes  _ he plays, he’s going to attack whatever he wants, and that will be the citizens of Amity! You may not respect the work of your father and I, but you  _ will  _ learn it.” 

“ And maybe you’re wrong. Did you ever think that whatever you know about ghosts is  _ wrong _ ?! The portal’s been open for over a year and you and dad  _ still  _ don’t know how ghosts work! You’ve been wrong about everything before the portal opened, what makes you think you’re  _ still  _ not wrong?!” 

“ You will not take that tone of voice with me.” Danny bit the inside of his cheek, fighting against saying the insults that threatened to tumble out. His parents had always been obsessed with ghosts, but at least they had  _ tried  _ to care before the portal had opened. Now...it just seemed like they saw them as students to teach, instead of children to care for. “You and your sister both will begin learning about ghosts starting next week. Understood?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

::

“ Usually, a student  _ does  _ their homework at a tutoring session.” 

“Fuck you and your logic.” Ghostwriter sighed, rolling his eyes as he flew over to where Danny was sitting. The teen had somehow found ten or so blankets and used them to form a pile of a cave, glaring at any and everything. “Your logic sucks.” 

“My logic dictates that when one of my friends is worried, I tell them instead of letting them becoming a blanket dragon.” Danny, on his part, only let out a hiss and buried down further into the blankets. “You will have to come out eventually, you know.” 

“No. I’m staying here forever.” Ghostwriter raised an eyebrow, frowning at Vidya’s notes of acceptance. “See, Vidya thinks it’s a good idea.” 

“Vidya, please don’t encourage him. He hardly leaves as it is.” Bending down in front of the pile of blankets and teenager, Ghostwriter gave it a small tug. “Any chance you’ll be leaving before starving to death?” 

“I’m half ghost. I can go three days without food before it bothers me.” 

“Why...do you know that?” At the silence, the ghost let out another sigh. “Why must you be so self destructive…” 

“ Says the one who locks everybody out and never socially interacts, thus leaving you unfilled and emotional, as well as easy to anger.” At the silence, Danny huffed. “Jazz  _ is  _ studying to be a psychiatrist, someone has to help her study. The point remains, as an anti-social hermit who rejects any and all attempts at friendship, you have no right to be lecturing me.” 

“ Rejects all attempts, hm? Then I wonder why I’m trying to help a stubborn teenager who destroys any and all attempts at his happiness because he thinks he doesn’t  _ deserve  _ it.” Danny pushed the blankets far enough away to send a glare to the ghost, who only glared right back. “I took psychology classes in college, apparently they were of good use.” 

“Fuck you.” 

“Flattering, but you’re not my type.” Danny only glared harder, resisting the urge to freeze the ghost into an ice block. “After dealing with those floating eyeballs all day, I’d rather not have to put up with even more drama.” 

“The Observants? Why would you have to deal with them?” The Observants were watchers of time, they dealt with threats to the entire Ghost Zone...not pushy bookworms who couldn’t take a hint on when to leave someone alone. 

“Having a ghost that can control reality is something they see as a threat, apparently, and calling them floating eyeballs who can’t see past their own shortcomings, let alone into another's future, certainly didn’t help matters. I’m lucky I wasn’t put to death-” 

“ They can do that?!” He knew the Observants and Walker could jail and detain ghosts seen as threats...but to put them to death? That just seemed  _ wrong _ . Looking back up, he saw Ghostwriter’s expression, a mixture between sympathy and pity. Two things that he really  _ did not  _ need.

“There’s still a lot you don’t know about this world…” 

“ Yeah? And why should I know anything? In case you forgot, this isn’t  _ my  _ world! I’m not a ghost, or dead, or  _ anything _ !” Pushing the blankets off of him now, Danny stomped towards the front doors, eager to find a place where he could blow off steam for a couple of hours. 

“Being scared doesn’t mean you should be running away from these things-” 

“ Scared?  _ Scared _ ?! I was scared when I was 14 and had to protect my town on my own! I was scared when I was almost killed, controlled to do things against my will, when I had to deal with the fact my parents  _ hate me and want to kill me _ , and had to face someone I can only  _ pray  _ I never  _ become _ .” Jerking to a stop, he shook his head, next words coming out as more of a sigh than a yell. “Scared? I’m not scared, anymore...just...tired.” Shaking his head, he gave another glare. “But that’s fine, I don’t expect someone who’s life is as perfect as yours to understand.” 

“You don’t know a thing about my life.” The air was thick with tension, and if Danny wasn’t as angry as he was, he would have sensed it. As it was, however, he ignored it and pulled his lips into a sneer. 

“ And you think you know about mine? The fear of never knowing if what you’re doing is right, doubting yourself every second of the day, never knowing when you’re going to  _ die _ \- How could you ever know what that’s like?!” 

“ Maybe because I  _ lived  _ it!” Ghostwriter snapped, fists clenched at his side. “Maybe because I faced death day after day after  _ day _ ! Because I thought each new day was going to be my last- Because as soon as I thought I was  _ safe _ , it all came crashing down and I woke up  _ dead _ \- Heaven and hell? What’s the difference?! You think you have it bad- At least you can go back to that world! At least you can still be  _ human _ \-  _ At least you didn’t have to watch everyone you care for attend your funeral- _ ” 

“ I wish I did! I wish I did, because that would mean that it was  _ over _ \- That I could finally stop struggling! That I could finally stop fighting, and wishing, and wondering what would happen if I stopped dodging attacks- I wish I could be you- Here, in a world you know, in a life you’re in control of- Instead I’m stuck- Stuck between lives, between worlds, between  _ the border _ \- I don’t- I  _ don’t want this life anymore! _ You wish you were alive again?!

“ _ I wish I was dead! _ ” 

As soon as the words were out the two realized the fight had gone too far. Danny could only cover his mouth in horror, refusing to look at the heartbroken look that the other had. As it was, it was all he could do to force his change into his ghost half, heading for the doors. 

“ Danny- Wait!” The other’s shouts were ignored as the teen was already gone, too fast for Ghostwriter to see where he had went. Fists clenched again, he spun around and punched the nearest wall, shoulders shaking as his eyes glazed with anger. “Idiot, idiot, idiot,  _ idiot _ .” Slowly letting himself slide to the floor, he braced his forehead against the wall. “Andrew, you absolute  _ fool _ .” 

Silence reigned in the library. 


	9. Reconcile

** Chapter Nine - Reconcile  **

** ::  **

Danny gazed listlessly at the swirling blizzard that had started ever since he had come to the Far Frozen. He wasn’t sure how long he had been there, all he could do was think about his and Ghostwriter’s fight over and over and over. “And you said  _ I  _ was unexpected…” 

Fighting and screaming was one thing, but telling the ghost what he had...how he was tired of everything, how he wished he wasn’t even… He had never meant to say those things, to  _ anyone _ . They had been meant to stay bottled up, deep down inside where he could cover them with a smile, and pretend they weren’t real. He was good at that, smiling and pretending that nothing was wrong, that everything was as happy as could be. 

He had lied for so long, he had started to forget the truth himself. “Things weren’t supposed to end up like this…” Ghostwriter was meant to be his tutor, maybe a friend, even. He wasn’t supposed to end up meaning so much to him, to where the thought of leaving things like he had was tearing him up inside. 

“Ah, Great One! It is a pleasure to see you again, although I wish it had been in better circumstances.” Danny tiredly looked up to the ghost that was in front of him, the large furred being blending in with the raging blizzard. “You have been out here quite a while, young one, and not even ghosts with ice cores can handle the cold forever.” 

“Sorry...I think I’m the one who caused the blizzard. I didn’t hurt anyone, did I?” 

“ No, Great One, the others are quite used to protecting themselves from the cold. It is  _ you  _ we are worried about. Cold like this cannot be good for one who still breaths life.” Frostbite carefully helped Danny up, looking him over closely. A little chilled, but his ice core seemed to be keeping him as stable as possible. “Come, let us return to the village.” 

“ Frostbite...I did something really bad…” At the look he was given, Danny bit his lip. “I hurt a friend of mine, and I feel like if I don’t fix it...then…” Wrong wrong wrong wrong  _ wrong wrong things shouldn’t be like this between him and that one never that one please god no this was so wrong this wasn’t right he was meant to be happy with him he was meant to share and halve the sorrow between them not run and hide and never come back and it was so wrong wrong wrong wrong  _

“If you did something wrong, young one, then you should fix it, no?” 

::

“Self pity really does not suit you, Andrew.” Ghostwriter’s cursing went silent, the ghost freezing from where he was curled up on the couch in his study. Eyes slowly looked up to the grinning timekeeper that was floating in front of him. “Long time no see, yes?” 

“ _ No _ . Anyone but  _ you _ . I’ve had enough dealings with you when it came to getting the Observants off my back!” Ghostwriter really did not need more added stress, and Clockwork always brought stress. Every time he saw the ghost he was soon beset with trouble, and right now, that was trouble that he  _ did not  _ need. “I’ve dealt with your student  _ more  _ than enough today- Last thing I need is his mentor bothering me, too!” 

“My dear Andrew, since when do I ever bother you?” The question was an innocent one, but the smirk of mischief ruined it. Seeing he was getting no reaction, Clockwork gently waved his staff to right the overturned books that had been knocked to the floor, spines and pages none the worse for wear as they went to rest in piles. Ghostwriter, on his part, only kicked another book off the couch in defiance. “Really, Andrew? Damaging your books will only make you feel worse, later.” 

“ Clockwork, I could not  _ possibly  _ feel worse than I do right now.” Seeing the look shot his way, Andrew only narrowed his eyes again. “If you’ve come to enlighten me with your oh-so-wise timekeeper ways, save it. I figured out he was my mate after that foolish hiking trip.” 

“That certainly saves me the trouble of explaining,” Clockwork chuckled, settling himself down in a well worn chair. “I take it you have yet to accept this fact?” 

“ The day I talk to you about my love life is the day I return to my  _ previous  _ line of work.” Clockwork sighed, a glance around the room showing the occasional glint of steel. He may have underestimated how upset the ghost was, if he had been digging out his old things. “If I do, however, you can be sure  _ that you’re first _ .” 

“Very menacing, truly, I am shaking in fear.” Ghostwriter had to resist the very mature urge of throwing a book at the time ghost’s head. He thought he rather succeeded, even if his hands did twitch in anticipation of the movement. “Staying here and sulking is rarely known to get things done. There is no going back on what was said, by either of you. All you two can do is move forward, and hope for the best.” 

::

“ I...don’t think it’ll be that easy, Frostbite…” Danny mumbled, hunching in on himself further. With every second, the words seemed to be getting louder and louder in his head, and images of what had happened swirled and flew past his eyes. It was like a constant hell that he was forced to endure. “After what was said...I don’t think he’ll even want to  _ look  _ at me, let alone listen to me.” 

“You might be surprised, Great One! The anger of friends is often only a mask, one to hide their fears and worries. Anger appears in us all, but often times it is hiding a greater truth.” Danny blinked at that, tilting his head curiously. 

“What do you mean?” 

“ Let me try to explain it this way. When others are angered over something, then that thing often means either nothing to them...or it means  _ everything _ . Now, tell me, Great One, what were you and this friend of yours fighting over?” Danny shrugged at the question, not sure how to explain what had happened. 

“I… I don’t know. At first it was just us fighting with each other, and then it just… It ended in us screaming things that I don’t think either of us meant to say, things about our lives...that we had been keeping secret.” 

“Ah! And there is the core of your fight, do you see?” 

“Um...no?” Frostbite chuckled, placing a gentle hand on Danny’s shoulder. 

“The truths you fought over are things you two may have wished to tell each other, but were too frightened, whether of each other, or past memories. Whoever this friend may be, Great One, I think he is as unsure and worried as you are. Do you truly think he would wish to never see you again?” 

“I…” 

::

“If you came here hoping to discuss my feelings, then I’m afraid you will be sorely disappointed,” Ghostwriter muttered, still glaring at the ghost who had refused to leave. “If you truly do see all of time, then you know just how this would end.” 

“You two are such dismal souls,” Clockwork sighed, sounding more like a complaining parent, than a powerful being who controlled time. “Both you and he think everything good that happens is soon to end in disaster and pain. Is happiness really such a foreign concept to you?” 

“No matter how the story goes from here, or how it is to end...it is one that will end in disaster. Cliche as it may be, there are truly worlds separating us. The barriers may not matter to me, but to him? He suffers enough as it is, Clockwork, and I refuse to add this to his burden of worries.” 

“I was so hoping you wouldn’t be an idiot about this.” Clockwork only waved off the glare he was given, sighing as he got up. “You will see things in time, both of you. For now however, you need to talk with him. Knowing his character as well as you do by now, you know how he is blaming himself for this mess.” 

“ I figured he would,” Andrew sighed, rubbing his eyes and displacing glasses. “Hero-complexed brat.” Even as he said the words, a small smile was on his face. “I’ll talk to him as soon as I see him, if that is all, however, I would be very grateful if you would  _ leave _ . Timekeepers are not ones I enjoy interacting with.” 

“Hm, I suppose Daniel is the exception to that rule, then.” 

“ Yes, yes- Wait...what....” No. He couldn’t mean... _ no _ . That...that wouldn’t just be stressful, that would be just-  _ No _ . “Please tell me you did not just say what I think you said…” 

“Give it a century or so.” With a flash of blue light, the ghost of time was gone, leaving nothing but a worried ghost and a room filled with closed and silent books. 

“All seeing bastard.” 

::

“I see my question has caused you pause, but tell me, Great One, this friend you speak of...you talk of him as if he is the one closest to you. I had believed those close ones to be your human companions?” Danny shook his head, curling in on himself as he floated above the still swirling snow. 

“ I did, too, but...with him...it’s  _ different _ .” His voice was hardly louder than a whisper, almost unheard over the snow storm. “I didn’t...this wasn’t supposed to  _ happen _ .” Danny was clueless. Even  _ he  _ knew that. Ghost hunting and fighting he was a pro at, but social cues? Not his thing. But this time…

He so wished he had remained clueless. 

“He was just supposed to be a friend. My tutor, someone who I could go to when I had trouble or school, or maybe even a fight with my friends! I wasn’t…” He wasn’t prepared for the ghost to be so welcoming to him, to let him into the library day after day with little to no complaint. He hadn’t expected the warm cups of coffee or gentle teasing. He never could have imagined the friend he had found in him. 

“ It’s  _ different _ , and it’s starting to scare me…” It was one thing, to want to get to know a friend better, but with Ghostwriter… Danny wanted to know  _ everything _ . It had been scary enough gaining the ghost as a friend, having himself weave into his life so effortlessly, but this… It was  _ different _ , and he had no words to describe it. 

The best he could do to describe it was an all-consuming need, a need to know  _ everything _ , and to save it away forever, to always remember. He didn’t know this feeling, not like he thought he did. It was strange and confusing, and the worst part was that he didn’t  _ want  _ the feeling to go away for Ghostwriter. He wanted to keep learning about the ghost, and talking to him, and just  _ being  _ with him. 

“ It’s scary, and confusing, and terrifying, and  _ I don’t know _ .” The blizzard had died down to nothing but a gentle snowfall, Danny quietly watching the spotless expanse as he tried to will away his shivers, although whether they were from cold or something else, he was uncertain. 

“What don’t you know, young one?” Frostbite asked quietly, surprised to see not the great and powerful Danny Phantom, but the scared and lost child that he tried so hard not to be. 

“I don’t know how I feel about him…” 

::

“H-Hi, Vidya.” A tumbling of concerned notes swam through his head, Danny letting out a quiet chuckle. “I...think I’ll be okay. For now I’m just...really cold.” His words were slow and stilted, as if afraid of stuttering from the cold that wracked through him. “C-Can I co-come i-in?” 

He had hardly finished his question before the doors were opening for him, closing as soon as he was inside, keeping out as much cold as possible. “Th-thanks.” It was only a few seconds until he saw Ghostwriter confusedly round the corner, muttering in quiet French as he looked to the ceiling. It was such a familiar scene that Danny almost wished he could pause time, just so he didn’t have to deal with what was sure to come. “Gh-Ghostwriter?” 

“Danny? Danny! I- Are you...shivering?” Ghosts who had an ice core shouldn’t shiver. Thoughts of worry, and what could go wrong with what was about to be said, immediately left the ghost’s head as he flew over, carefully tilting Danny’s head up, and checking him over for damage. “You didn’t get into a fight, did you? Are you alright?” 

“N-No. Just in the Fa-Far Frozen for a little lo-longer th-than normal.” Danny let out another wracking shudder, surprised when he found himself being pulled along past countless rooms and shelves. “Si-since our fi-fight, I think.” 

“ Since- That was noon!  _ Yesterday _ ! Avez-vous aucune notion de danger, mon cher? It’s eight o’clock at  _ night _ , Danny! You’ve been in that tundra for over thirty hours!” 

“...oops?” Danny tried, letting out a small smile at the familiar sigh of exasperation he heard. He saw a few more rooms pass before he tiredly let his eyes fall shut, wishing the pounding in his head would go away. When he came back to his senses, he found he was wrapped in a dozen blankets, and propped up in front of a warm, roaring fireplace. “I have be-been ea-eaten by b-blankets.” 

“I suggest staying silent until you warm up enough to where you can talk without stuttering from cold.” Danny nodded, already completely relaxed in front of the fire. It took a few minutes for him to prompt his transformation to human, the heat making him too lazy and lethargic to panic like he might have. 

“ Still have that white hair, then?” Danny stuck his tongue out, the laughter he heard warming him up more than the fire ever could. “Still a tangled mess, as well. Do you even  _ own  _ a brush?” 

“No. Jazz just surprise attacks me when it gets too bad,” the teen mumbled out, relaxing at the sensation of fingers gently combing through his hair, fixing matts and tangles. “I blame the wind shear from when I fly around as Phantom.” 

“That doesn’t explain how it’s so bad as your human side,” Ghostwriter sighed, working on a particularly complex knot. “It just sounds like poor hygiene.” 

“...probably.” Warm and content, and with the soothing sensation of his hair being tidied and combed, Danny soon fell into a light doze, only waking when he heard his friend’s voice. 

“I’m...sorry, Danny, for what I said the other day. I never should have let the fight climb to those levels, and...I’m sorry that you felt like you had to run, as soon as the words were out.” Brain still foggy, and body lethargic, it took a few moments for the words to click into place, Danny darting up when they did. 

“No, no, no, no! That was all my fault, I was just in a pissy mood because of my parents and I took it out on you! I didn’t mean to make things so bad- And I just- Unexpected- And confusing- And- No. Not your fault!” Struggling up, he managed to only fall over into his friend’s lap, who looked more amused than anything. “...you know what, forget it, I’m not moving. You’re fluffy.” 

“I’m not quite sure if that’s an insult, or not,” Ghostwriter mused, rolling his eyes as Danny only snuggled in closer. “You’re not letting me go, are you?” 

“No. You are my super fluffy captive. I felt shitty when I thought you were angry at me, so now that you’re not, I am going to lay here until I am kicked out.” 

“...I never kick you out?” 

“Exactly.” Ghostwriter sighed, although there was a smile on his face, as he ran his hand through Danny’s hair again. “That’s really not helping me stay awake, you know.” 

“ Mm, my apologies.” He made no effort to stop. “I really am sorry, for what I said...you  _ are  _ my friend, my only one, at that, and I care for you… I just...am not very good at dealing with relationships of my own.” A truth masked by lies...the only thing he knew how to say now and days, it seemed. From his lap, however, Danny was giving him a warm smile. 

“You can make a love story that makes me cry - and yes, I lied, Soundless Clock made me sob for hours - but you have this hard a time saying you care about a friend? You need more social interaction, GW.” 

“Yes, well, I get plenty of that from you, now don’t I?” Ghostwriter mused, pausing for a few seconds, and then slowly grinning. “The story made you cry, hm?” The teen whining and tugging the blankets over his head only served to make him laugh. 

“ It was  _ really  _ good, okay?!” Later. He would think of the things Ghostwriter had told him later, both during the fight and after, for now, though… For now he was content with resting next to his friend, knowing that things would be alright. Given time, of course. He knew he would have to face his feelings eventually, and just what was beginning, but for now...just for now, he would keep things the same. 

Just for a while longer. 


	10. Outing (NOT a Date)

** Chapter Ten - Outing ( ** _** Not  ** _ ** A Date) **

** ::  **

“ _ Ye~ah we built this city on Rock n' Roll, never gonna pay the price but maybe the toll. Gonna get down and dirty with my boys tonight, you better believe that this is our fight! _ ”  Danny had the rather bad habit of bursting out into song whenever he heard one he recognized, especially one that was classic rock. Considering that was all the music store he worked at played, it was rare when he  _ wasn’t  _ singing. 

Busy shelving records and CDs, and dancing away to the ancient radio that played from the counter, he only faintly recognized the shop door opening. He quickly passed it off as it most likely being Ember, who had already walked in on him singing plenty of times. 

“ _ Yeah it's Rock n' Roll nation! Gonna hit it up station by station! Gonna fight and claw and kick and scratch, gonna fight until we win the match! Cause this is a Rock n' Roll nation~ Yeaaah this is a Rock n' Roll nation! _ ”  Finishing off the chorus with a spin he had all but perfected at the disco night reunions his parents had used to attend, he grinned widely, until an all too familiar voice had him yelping and crashing to the floor out of shock. 

“That spin was very disco of you, and trust me, I would know. I had to live through the infernal era, after all.” Ghostwriter sighed at seeing his friend still laying on the floor. “Are you alright? I assume only your pride was wounded in that fall.” 

“Okay, I admit, not my most graceful finish.” Groaning, Danny rolled over and picked himself up, making sure his glasses were back on as he looked to his friend. “Did the hermit bookworm finally leave his lair?” The ghost was in his human illusion, and, yeah, Danny had forgotten how hot his friend was when appearing human. Almost as bad, or good, as his ghost form. 

“Oh, hush, you. Kitty finally threatened me that if I didn’t leave, she would drag me out, reality changing powers be damned.” Danny laughed at that, moving to go prop himself up and sit on the counter, Ghostwriter casually glancing around the small store. 

“Let me guess, it was her who told you where I worked?” 

“No, actually. That information came from Ember, who’s over at the college today. She was right, in saying you have a lovely singing voice, as well.” Ghostwriter chuckled at the other’s blush, adjusting the messenger bag around his shoulder. “And I used to leave my library on occasion, I’ll have you know.” 

“ _ You _ ? The one who says that dealing with the stupidity of others isn’t worth your time?” 

“Something remarkably similar to that, at least,” Ghostwriter mused, the two watching as a woman came out of the back, holding a large cup of coffee, a monster energy drink, and a red bull. Setting the coffee cup down on the counter, she immediately poured the other two drinks inside.

“Uh, Owner, take it from someone who’s been where you are, you’re gonna regret that in about an hour.” The woman only waved the teen off, drinking half of the cup in one go. Ghostwriter wasn’t sure if he was more worried about her, or about the idiotic friend who had done the same thing in the past. 

“ I’m going to be able to see  _ time _ . Now, who’s this? Usually it’s that evil goth and unpleasant technopath I have to deal with you from you.” Danny snorted, rolling his eyes. 

“What? No complaints about the ghost who comes in here daily?” 

“ She has killer music and  _ pays  _ for what she wants, that’s better than most of my patrons. Now, you. Small bookworm looking dude who probably plays piano!” 

“How-” 

“Name!” 

“Oh, uh, Isaac?” Danny bit his lip, trying to hide his laughter at his friend using yet another pen name. He had to hide his laughter even harder when Owner stared at the ghost intently, who immediately tried to use Danny as a shield. 

“ Let me guess...science fiction writer and years of piano playing- Classical and Rock, right?” The ghost glanced to Danny nervously before nodding, looking even more unnerved. “I told you. I can  _ see everything with this drink _ .” With that, the woman turned on her heel and left, Danny finally letting out his laughter. 

“She… I have no words.” Danny only patted his friend’s back, who still looked confused and worried. “She’s more terrifying than Clockwork, I believe.” 

“That reminds me, you never told me how you know Clockwork.” At the groan he received, he rather had the feeling that he had opened a can of worms. “That bad?” 

“ You have  _ no  _ idea. Every time I’ve had the  _ pleasure  _ of coming into contact with him, he’s caused nothing but trouble and anxiety. His attempts at helping often end up leaving me more stressed than the start of the mess.” 

“ Yeah, sounds like him,” Danny nodded, slipping off the counter and moving to rearrange a precariously perched stack of records. “He causes as much trouble as he fixes, although he’ll deny the causing part.” Pausing for a few moments, Danny grinned again. “So,  _ Isaac _ , do you always give your pen names to people who ask your name?” 

“It certainly seems to have developed into a habit,” Ghostwriter mused, glancing at one of the CDs curiously. “You’ve done remarkable wonders with the truce, by the way. On my way here, I was surprised by how easy humans were with the presence of the ghosts.” 

“ Yeah, things are really getting better,” Danny grinned, almost bouncing over to his friend, enthusiasm getting the best of him. “The other day, Dora visited, and she went dragon, and Youngblood showed all the kids she was really nice, and it was so  _ adorable _ . She even let them use her tail as a slide and just  _ cuteness _ ! And, and, before that, Skulker went to the hunting store, and was giving the hunters tips to use. It was pretty amusing to watch, especially since he terrified all of them before Ember came in and dragged him out- 

“And Ember’s doing that benefit concert for the college kids, trying to raise money for some of the scholarship programs, Desiree has been helping out at the hospital and cheering up the sick patients, Technus and Tucker ran into each other and are now working on destroying every ghost tracker in the city, and Sam and Undergrowth are working together to help encourage the parks to grow- 

“ Oh! And Lunch Lady? She’s been working at the soup kitchen, a lot of the people really like her, and she only gets enraged at the rude ones. The kids she  _ adores _ , she even makes Box Ghost come and play with them, building box castles and forts and all sorts of cute things, and Wulf helps wrangle up lost pets and deliver them back to their owners and why are you looking at me like that?” 

“You’ve really made a difference…” Danny blushed at the warm and enamored look he was given, nervously coughing and displacing his hat as he nervously ran his hand through his hair. 

“O-Oh- I- I don’t know about that. I mean. Just. Help. And sharing. And. Um. Yeah.” Ghostwriter let out a quiet chuckle, which did nothing for Danny’s flustered state. 

“ In less than a few weeks you’ve shown humans and ghosts that it’s possible to get along. That is  _ quite  _ the difference, mon cher.” 

“A-Ah, yeah, well, ahem. Um. Yes. Hm. I’m just. Over there. Work.” Honestly, their little store was far too hot in here, how was someone with an ice core meant to survive?! And if he heard Ghostwriter laughing quietly and following him with warm eyes, well, he didn’t have to really think about that. 

“Oh, yeah!” The two looked over to see Owner had popped back in, pupils slightly larger than they should be. “Twenty minute break time! Go have fun with your boyfriend-” 

“Not my boyfriend!” 

“ Kid, please. I’m hungover, high, and can see purple pixies, but I’m not  _ blind _ .” Ghostwriter bit his lip as Danny huffed and dragged him out, Owner laughing as they left. 

“She’s a very interesting character, it seems.” Danny only huffed again, surprised that the other had yet to jerk his hand away. “Speaking of interesting, why is your hair...blue?” It was a lovely shade of sky blue, and was well suited to the teen, but the question only made him sigh and pathetically lean into the ghost’s side. “Mixed up the dying products?” 

“ Kitty and Johnny wanted to  _ help _ . Apparently, Johnny grabbed the wrong box, and Kitty used it without knowing. You think this is bad? You should see my hair as Phantom…” Seeing the raised eyebrow, he shuddered. “Think maroon. Ugly,  _ ugly _ maroon.” 

“I can’t imagine you were too happy upon finding that out,” Ghostwriter mused, laughing at the dramatic groan he was given. “By the way, where are we going?” 

“ Just this place around the corner where you can get coffee that’s actually  _ decent _ around here, although it’s nowhere near as good as yours, and it’s kind of gothic. I only know about it because of Sam.” Danny pointed the building out as soon as they rounded the corner. “Poetry, coffee, small goth bookstore, just seems like something you might like.” 

“Sounds interesting,” Ghostwriter mused, pausing at seeing the look on Danny’s face. “Something wrong?” 

“No, I just...I guess it just hit me that I don’t really know your name, your real one, or human one, or however you want to look at it.” Ghostwriter blinked in surprise, slowly smiling. 

“ Is that your  _ subtle  _ way of asking?” At the embarrassed and hesitant nod, the ghost let out a laugh. “Andrew. Andrew Riter.” Andrew, huh… Turning on his heel to where he was facing his friend, Danny gave a wide smile. 

“ Nice to meet you, Andrew.” Ghostwriter, no,  _ Andrew _ , laughed and shook his head. “Now come on, let’s get some coffee and make poor purchases that we’ll later regret.” 

Soon seated at one of the small tables near the dimmed windows, Andrew raised an eyebrow at Danny’s staring. “So, I’m just wondering here, what are the chances of me being able to get away with calling you Andy?” Without skipping a beat, Andrew smiled pleasantly. 

“If you even try know that I will be trapping you inside a book full of inconsistencies, plot holes, and lack of character development.” Danny nodded as he took a quick sip of his coffee, looking unphased. 

“ So, something like Twilight, then, right?” It was a few seconds before Andrew let out a startled laugh, which did nothing in convincing Danny that the other  _ wasn’t  _ the most adorable thing he had ever seen. “Also, next time, I’m paying for coffee. No tricks!” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Andrew chuckled, watching Danny for a few seconds before sighing. “Try to get revenge on Ember for telling me where you work, and you are sure to face an overprotective mate in the form of Skulker.” 

“Am I really that obvious- Wait, mate? What?” At the look he was given, Danny shrugged. It was hardly his fault if he knew so little about the Ghost Zone. “I’ve only been a half ghost for two years or so, cut me some slack!” 

“First of all, yes, you are that obvious. Second, ghost mates are, as you would imagine, the mates of other ghosts, who are bonded at the very core, and have emotional connections that run deeper than most can fathom.” Danny decided not to ask why Andrew looked flustered, although it was an adorable sight. “Some pairs find each other almost immediately, such as Johnny and Kitty, while others take quite a while.” 

“ So, ghost mates are like  _ soul  _ mates, right?” Danny asked, Andrew nodding as he finally took a sip of his coffee, frowning at the taste. Danny only watched in amusement as the other took his cup and drank, nodding and switching them around. 

“Remarkably similar in nature, at least, yes. It’s a bit more complicated, however, with minor telepathic connections as the bond between them grows, such as knowing when the other is hurt, or being able to find them no matter what.” Danny nodded in understanding. It made sense, he supposed. “Ghosts who are mates are often destined to end up together, even if their first meetings are, well, rough, in nature.” 

“So they could go from hating each other’s guts to being all mushy and gushy?” At the nod, Danny stuck his tongue out. “I don’t believe it. No way could someone go from hate to love so quickly.” Andrew only quirked an eyebrow, Danny huffing again. “Yes, but we’re not normal! Besides, hate to friendship and hate to love are two entirely different things!” No matter what his traitorous feeling were whispering otherwise. “Oh, yeah! Wait here a second!” 

Andrew only shook his head and sipped on his coffee as he watched the other run over to the barista they had spoken with earlier, gesturing wildly and then grinning as a book was handed over to him. In a few seconds, Danny was back, pressing the book into his hands and flittering around excitedly. “Well, well, well? What do you think?” 

“I think giving you coffee was a tremendously terrible idea,” the ghost mused, snagging Danny as he passed by again, tugging him into the seat beside him. “Are you always this hyper?” 

“Yes. No? I don’t know, it comes in waves, and stuff. Um, so, yes! Book! It’s yours, bought it a while ago, but had them hold it, cause ghost sense and attack and stuff- You know, it’s weird, but my ghost sense doesn’t really go off anymore? I mean, it’s kind of like a inner feeling now, than the random wisp of smoke- Really helpful now that ghosts are around everywhere- I mean, better than my secret almost getting exposed- But, yes, book- Why are you laughing?” 

“Words truly fail to describe you, mon cher.” Danny only pouted, opening the book himself, and pressing it closer to the ghost. “Wait...what do you mean it’s mine?” 

“ Gift. As thanks for giving me your copy of The Soundless Clock- Which I’m still embarrassed over, when thinking about how I acted that day, and how you’re the one who  _ wrote it _ . Jeez, no wonder you were acting so strange- But, um, yes, thoughts?” The teen was practically bouncing in his chair, Andrew finally rolling his eyes and flicking him on the forehead. “Hey!” 

“The gift is very sweet, Danny, although I am slightly concerned on how hyper you are being...does this happen often?” Danny shrugged, hopping up to move around the table, small spins and dodges keeping him from running into things in a way that was far too similar to his fighting style. 

“Yes, it’s just your good luck that you haven’t had to deal with me when I’ve had one. I just- I dunno. Get this random burst of energy. Like my body has all this energy to spend but there’s nothing to do so I just have to keep moving although it seems to be getting really really worse lately and it’s starting to concern the others and why that look that’s your thinking look why-” 

“Is it possible your bursts of energy are due to the lack of ghost fighting?” At the curious look, Andrew felt himself smile. “Due to the new truce you’ve enacted, you’ve been fighting less ghosts, leaving you with reserves of energy that your body would normally expend while in a fight. Now that you’re in a relatively peaceful environment, with only day to day tasks, you have more energy than you know what to do with. Your body’s become so used to burning energy, and being in battle, that the thought of stillness is all but foreign to you.” 

It was a few moments of silence before Danny spoke, worried expression on his face. “Andrew...are you okay? You seem...I dunno, sad. Like, pained sad.” Surprised at the question, the ghost gave a smile, looking as reassuring as he possibly could. 

“I’m fine, Danny. Just a brief moment of unpleasant memories… Speaking of unpleasant things, you need to be getting back to work.” Blinking in surprise, the teen looked for a clock, cursing as soon as he saw one. “A century, indeed…” At the curious look, the ghost waved him off, sliding his new book into his bag and following after the teen. “You’re not very good with time management skills, are you?” 

“ Not really. I probably wouldn’t know if it was night or day if not for the sun and stuff,” Danny nervously chuckled, throwing their cups away and holding the door open. “So, on the keeping still front, any ideas on how to  _ stop  _ moving around all the time?” 

“Mm, I’m not quite sure, yet, but I’ll think of something,” Andrew assured, Danny rolling his eyes as they rounded the corner to the store. 

“Yeah, well, others have tried before you.” At the wicked smirk, he had a feeling that the ghost had taken that as a challenge. “Thanks for visiting, it was actually fun. Even if I’m still embarrassed over the disco spin.” 

“It was very well executed,” Andrew chuckled, amused at Danny’s whine. It was hardly his fault if he found the younger so adorable. “Don’t forget that we have a tutoring session tomorrow.” 

“ Yeah, yeah. Don’t  _ you  _ forget that leaving Vidya once in a while is actually good for you, and something you should do more often.” Danny whined as his hat was jerked over his eyes, knocking his glasses askew. 

“Have a good day at work, Danny.” 

“ Seeya later, Andrew.” 


	11. Lesson One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : mentions of using knives as weapons, ectoplasmic blood, and Spectra/emotional manipulation

**Chapter Eleven – Lesson One**

** ::  **

“Since you two should know the basics of hunting by now, today you’ll be learning about ghostly horticulture.” This was torture. If Danny had to ever describe what torture was, he would look back to this as a prime example. “Eyes front, young man! You may think this is foolish, but a lot of these plants are powerful against ghosts!” 

“Yeah, like these babies!” Jack Fenton grinned widely as he held up a few dimly glowing flowers that looked more suited to a gothic bookstore, rather than a scientist’s lab. “My ancestors used these to fight ghosts all the time! Called ‘em Blood Blossoms!” 

“Wow, Dad. Sounds amazing,” Jazz drawled, sitting protectively in front of Danny, glaring at each adult if they dared stepped too close. Danny was rather thankful for the sisterly protection, since it meant those flowers were kept as far away from him as possible. “Hey, you know what, let me see those for a second? Please?” 

“Aw, sure Jazzy pants!” Jazz smiled and hopped up, twirling the flowers in her hand as she observed them. “Think of it like the specter deflector, only edible!” Danny watched in morbid curiosity as his sister continued to observe the flowers, asking questions that he never would have thought of, such as how they were neutralized. 

“Well, eating them, for one thing,” Maddie smiled in wry amusement. “Fire has also been known to destroy them and their properties, which is why they often don’t work on ghosts with command over fire.” 

“ Makes sense,” Jazz nodded, stumbling in her steps and losing her grip on the flowers, which tumbled right into a bunsen burner that had been left on. Gasping, her hands went to her mouth in horror. “Oh, no, guys, I’m  _ so  _ sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and-” Her mother’s disappointed sigh cut her off. 

“It’s fine, Jasmine. We’ll have to find more later...hopefully soon. Go ahead and sit back down next to your brother.” Danny had to bite his lip at seeing the satisfied smile Jazz had on as she walked back to her seat, fist bumping him before sitting down. “Blood blossoms can also fatally wound a ghost if they’re ingested, although we’re not sure to what degree. Yet.” And didn’t that just sound promising. 

“ We were  _ going  _ to show you just what they could do to a ghost, but now I guess we can’t,” Jack whined, pout on his face, Jazz rolling her eyes and Danny feeling a dull pulse of worry. 

“Um, Dad? What ghost were you going to use it on?” 

“ This one right here!” From under the counter, Jack pulled out a glowing green plastic crate, an obvious clue to the anti-ghost properties, that held a confused and worried ghost puppy. A very  _ familiar  _ ghost puppy. “Caught him sniffing around the lab this morning! Thought it would make a good lesson for you kids!” 

They...had Cujo. An innocent ghost pup who only liked to run around and play,  _ his  _ ghost dog. They had  _ his friend locked up and whining and sad and they had been about to torture him for a  _ _** lesson  ** _ _ and if they truly thought they could just torture ghosts  _ “ Ow!” Danny glared over at his sister, who had harshly elbowed him in the side. “What?” 

“ I know you’re angry, but having your eyes start glowing and going green really is  _ not  _ going to help things,” Jazz whispered, Danny blinking in surprise. His eyes...had been glowing green? He was used to small things happening when he was angry, but he had thought he had gained better control than that. “Don’t worry, Danny, we’ll get him out of there.” 

“As a low level animal ghost, we figured this one would be a good example of just how powerful blood blossoms are. I suppose we can show you the properties of another one… Not as powerful, but it’s a good anti deterrent. Think of it like...a shield, almost.” As Maddie spoke, she formed a circle out of warm pink flowers that brightly glowed, taking Cujo’s container and letting him tumble out into the middle. “Ghosts can’t touch the flowers, if they do, well…” 

They watched as the small ghost puppy curiously sniffed one of the flowers, yelping at the shock to his nose and skittering away back to the middle. Danny was thankful that Jazz was there to keep him seated, otherwise the lab might have been trashed all over again. “Effective, but not long lasting. The properties drain themselves out as time goes by.” 

“ Hey, uh, Mom...do you really have to test this stuff out on this one? I mean...he’s just a puppy.” Maddie sighed, upset with her son’s behavior. Why couldn’t she make him  _ understand _ ? 

“ Danny, I know how you are about animals and puppies, but this is a  _ ghost _ . A deadly creature who will not  _ hesitate  _ to try and kill you. We already know this one can shift into another, larger form. One that is quite deadly.” Danny only gestured to the puppy, who was curled into a small ball and giving the most pathetic look possible. “ _ Deadly _ .” 

“Well, I mean-” Danny winced at the jab to his side, huffing at Jazz’s look. Right. Bad time for puns. “I still think that there are ghosts out there who are actually, well, good. I mean, if they were once living, they were once human, right? They have the capability to be good or bad, just like we do. Humans kill each other all the time, and you don’t see us blaming the entire race.” 

“ Danny, one day, when you’re older, you’ll understand why we do this.” Danny and Jazz rolled their eyes at the same time. Right. Older. Not like they knew  _ anything  _ about ghosts. “Now, we do have other plants that, while not as harmful as the blood blossom, still can be improvised as weapons-” 

“Oh! Look! The thing! I have to- To go!” Jack and Maddie watched in surprise as Danny suddenly jumped up, looking as if he had been shocked. “Phone- Sam and Tuck- The thing- I told you about the thing, right? Of course I did! Jazz?! You know about the thing?!” 

“Oh, right! That all night study party you and your friends have planned, to help raise your grades just before finals!” Ancients bless his wonderful sister. “I mean, you can’t miss that! Go on and have fun studying!” 

“Bye, love you, have fun!” Jazz waved before turning back and giving her parents as polite a smile as she could, mentally counting down how long it would take before Phantom arrived. She was happy to hear the front door close, a good way to cover his tracks. 

In seconds the ghost alarms were blaring, Jack and Maddie heading for the weapons vault as Jazz ran over and broke the flower circle around Cujo, giving a small chuckle as he happily jumped into her arms. “Alright, Cujo, Danny will be here in a second, just go wait by the portal, okay?” The puppy nodded and barked, jumping out of her arms and running to the portal doors. It was only a few seconds until they started opening. “Oh no! Phantom must have done something to open the portal!” 

Her parents were already running up the steps, weapons in hand as they knocked over the table of flowers they had been showing them, Jazz rolling her eyes. 

“So, that was rather easy.” Jazz laughed as her brother floated around her head, looking towards the weapon vault and grinning rather wickedly. “Still have those ecto bombs?” 

“Of course.” Digging one out from her purse, Jazz tossed it to Danny, who activated it and tossed it into the vault, slamming the door closed. One small explosion later, and they were both grinning. “Cujo’s back in the Zone. By the way, why are you wearing a hat?” 

“ Maroon, Jazz,” Danny whined, tugging the black skull cap even further over his head. “Ugly,  _ ugly  _ maroon. It’s just...just…” Jazz watched her brother in worry as his eyes almost seemed to glaze over, body dropping a few inches out of the air. “What...is that smell…” 

“Uh...what smell?” Jazz silently cursed as her brother headed towards the table of overturned flowers, quickly tugging him away before he could get himself hurt. “Danny? What’s wrong?” 

“Ssmmeelll.” Oh, damn. He was acting like he did when he was five and high on sugar. Sighing, and tugging her brother away from the flowers some more, she looked for any notes lying around. “Pretty pretty pretty. Ink and parchment and warm fireplaces~” 

“You’re starting to worry me, little brother.” Seeing a piece of paper, one of the ones that had been knocked to the floor, she quickly grabbed it and started reading. “Ghost nip? Ghosts smell what they love most and are put into a lethargic state of bliss- Ink and parchment, huh?” Oh, she was never letting this go. “Come on, Danny, let’s get you into the Zone until this wears off.” 

“ But- But!” Danny didn’t get to complain further as he disappeared through the portal, laughing as he was quickly tackled by a happy green ghost puppy once on the other side. “Heya, Cujo!” Still feeling lethargic and happy, Danny hummed as he hugged the ghost close to him, looking around the area. “Hmm...what do you say we go find GW? I really, really,  _ really  _ want to see him.” 

He took the bark as a positive answer. 

::

“Hm, only a few new books this time, huh, Mandy?” 

“Oh, fuck you too, Ghostwriter!” Andrew laughed at the irritated ghost who was part of the Gypsy Ghost Market. It was the first time they had been back in quite a while, and he couldn’t help but have a little fun. “Getting books from the human world isn’t as easy as you would think!” 

“Try visiting Amity Park more.” Pausing at the overwhelming sense of dread that filled him, Andrew nervously looked around him, shoulders hunched in worry.  

“ Wow, never seen you this jumpy? What’s up?” Andrew would have liked to believe that he  _ didn’t  _ flinch at the arm that slung itself around his shoulder. He was probably wrong, but still. “Actually, we almost  _ never  _ see you.” 

“I do leave my lair on occasion,” the book ghost huffed, slipping out of an amused Johnny’s hold. As soon as he got a foot away, the feeling of dread and worry came back stronger than ever. “Oh no…” His words were too late in coming, as a second later he was tackled to the ground. 

“Wow, nice tackle, lil cuz. Ten out of ten,” Johnny laughed, Kitty only shaking her head as she watched the Ghostwriter groan and pull himself up, with the added addition of a half ghost wrapped around him. “Aw, he missed you, bookworm.” 

“I will feel no hesitation in returning your sorry form to the void,” Andrew growled, frowning as he noticed his bag had been knocked off of him. Looking for it, he raised an eyebrow at seeing Cujo was happily offering it to him, strap in his mouth. “...I...I have no words.” 

“Ooo, the clever sarcastic book ghost without words, that’s a new one,” Mandy laughed, leaning over their stall to see the ghost that was making the other’s life an unliving hell. “Isn’t that the Phantom kid?” 

“Yeah, GW here has a soft spot for him,” Johnny snickered, not too worried about the glare shot his way. “Go on, try to tell me I’m wrong. You’d do anything for the kid.” Andrew opened his mouth to protest, only for his words to die off into a sigh as Danny snuggled closer to him, smile on his face. “See.” 

“Oh, shut up.” Wow. Mature, Andrew. Mature. He needed to stop spending so much time around Danny, who, speaking of, seemed to be acting...off. “Danny? Are you alright?” The answer came in a stream of indecipherable ghost speak and Latin. “I’ll take that as a negative, then.” 

“Whoa, his pupils are totally blown,” Kitty lowly whistled, tilting Danny’s head to where they could see his eyes better, which were all black except for a ring of green. “What the hell have you been getting into?” 

“Stuff. Smelly stuff. Nice smelly stuff. Stuff stuff stuff.” Danny giggled, rings wrapping around him and turning him back into his human from, the teen landing on the large rock where various stalls were set up. “Stuff stuff stuff so nice stuff~” 

“Huh...didn’t take him the type to do pot,” Johnny hummed, wincing at the hit to the back of his head. “Well, what else do you think it could be?!” As if on cue, a cute and catchy jingle started ringing, Danny digging his phone out and looking at it in confusion, finally handing it over to Andrew, who sighed and answered. 

“Hello- Oh, hello, Jasmine. Yes, he’s here- Really? Getting worse, then… Hm? Ghost- Oh! Yes, unfortunately. Mhm. Yes, yes, don’t worry, I’ll look after him. Mhm, yes- Do stop worrying, he’ll be fine here.” Rolling his eyes, Andrew handed the phone back to Danny. “Your sister.” 

“Hi, hi!” Danny hummed happily, nodding his head as he listened to his sister. “Kay. Kay. Kay. Okay. No fighting and sleep only counts if it’s more than four hours. Kay. Bye bye, mhm, love you too, Jazzy!” Hanging up, Danny slipped the phone back into his jeans, bouncing over to wrap himself around Andrew again, who now looked amused instead of worried. 

“Ghost nip.” At the words, Johnny and Kitty both laughed. “Apparently his parents managed to get their hands on some, which lead to this small incident.” 

“Ghost nip, huh? That’s adorable!” This was just not Andrew’s day. Skulker and Ember had appeared while he wasn’t paying attention, Ember looking gleeful at the giggling human. “Ooh, let me try something!” Clearing her throat, the ghost immediately started whistling a clear and cheerful tune, Danny picking it up a few seconds later and whistling back just as well. “Adorable.” 

This was going to be a long day, he could  _ feel  _ it. “Is it too late to wash my hands of his mess and pretend I never met any of you?” 

“ Yup! Far too late,” Johnny snickered, throwing his arm around Andrew again. “Besides, lil cuz would be broken up if you started ignoring him. He talks about you non stop.” At the startled look, Johnny grinned even wider. Oh, this was  _ great _ . “Yup! It was bad enough when he kept ranting about his family going crazy, now he just talks about you like you asked him out to prom or something.” 

“Such a descriptive turn of phrase, truly, you are a master of words,” Andrew muttered, thinking that his sarcasm had rather been ruined by the fact Danny was now using him as a shield. 

“Oo, hiding behind someone else. That’s a new one.” 

“Don’t you lot have anything better to do besides bother me?” Spectra had appeared now, grinning down at him and Danny in delight. While the ghost had never been one of his favorites, now he was feeling unnerved at her presence. To see her often ended badly. “Honestly, gossip hounds, the lot of you.” 

“ Well, what better gossip than our cute little halfa? It’s a shame, though...all this delicious darkness is masked by that stupid scent of the flower. A true shame...especially since it’s only been getting  _ worse and worse  _ over the past few months.” At that everyone looked to Spectra, who was still grinning in enjoyment as she looked down at a nervous Danny. None of them seemed to notice Andrew tensing, hand slipping into his coat pocket.

“ Shame, self hatred, self  _ loathing _ , a sense that nothing he ever does is right...that constant thought to climb a building just a bit too high...and let gravity do it’s work-” 

“ _ Say one more word. I  _ _** dare  ** _ _ you _ .” 

“ Oo, touch a nerve?” Spectra grinned at the knife that was pressed to her throat, Andrew glaring at her with bright red eyes, lips pulled back into a snarl. “Aw, you’re no fun, Ghostwriter. What’s the matter? Upset that your  _ mate  _ hasn’t even realized his feelings yet-” Spectra hissed at the wicked sharp knife that went through her stomach, another knife knocking her back to the ground and pinning her to the ground. 

“ Keep speaking...and next time I assure you I will  _ not  _ grant you mercy.” Spectra glared up at the ghost standing above her, body shifting into shadows as she growled, tearing the curved knife out and throwing it down at the ghost’s feet. 

“The Priest of Death still alive, then?” She just barely dodged the knife aimed at her core as she vanished, laughing lightly. Andrew cursed, picking his knives up and looking up to see the others staring at him in shock, not sure how to react. 

“Oh...just don’t.” Sighing, he looked around for Danny, who was immediately back at his side and looking at him with stars in his eyes and, wow, no, that wasn’t helping him at all right now. “Danny, can you change into your ghost side?” The teen nodded, changing at once and then grabbing the other’s hand, looking as happy and pleased as could be. “...We’re going to back to Vidya and pretending this day never happened.” 

As soon as he was gone, the others who were left behind shared a look, Kitty the one to finally speak. “So, we all agree? Keep Danny alive, or face the wrath of a ghost who can rewrite and control reality.” 

“Yup.” 

“Agreed.” 

“I’m all for that.” 

Kitty only nodded, looking back to where the two had disappeared. She had a feeling that she would need to be hinting to Danny, stubborn as that teen was. As for Ghostwriter, well… She had a feeling she had better be careful what she said around him, when concerning the halfa.

::

Andrew tiredly rubbed his eyes as he collapsed into the nearest couch, watching Danny, still in his ghost half, fly around the library. The teen was still out of his mind, but at least he was being relatively careful. Somewhat. Shaking it off, the ghost glanced down to the knives in his hands, shoulders tensing as he threw them as far away from him as he could. 

“ _The Priest of Death still alive, then?”_

“ Damn her…” It didn’t surprise him that Spectra had somehow found out about his past, although it  _ did  _ surprise him what he had heard about Danny. Surprise and an all consuming anger that had nearly made him… “So much for leaving it all behind…” 

“ Hey, hey, Andy!” And nope. Right there. That was how Andrew could tell he was doomed, because he wasn’t even feeling  _ angry  _ about Danny calling him that name. “Where is everyone? It’s rare that we’re not getting interrupted by the others.” 

“...what?” Danny sighed dramatically at the question, sitting down next to Andrew and snuggling up next to him, as if it was second nature. 

“ I know you have a bad memory, always being lost in a book and such, but I didn’t think you’d ever be  _ this  _ bad. The others? I haven’t seen them around lately- You don’t think anything bad happened, do you?” 

“Danny...who are you talking about?” At the startled and concerned look on Danny’s face, Andrew grew even more worried. “Are...your eyes blue?” 

“ Okay,  _ now  _ you’re starting to worry me. Andrew, my eyes are always blue, have been ever since, well, yeah.” Feeling his cheeks cupped and head tilted to the side, Danny rolled his eyes. “When you’re done being paranoid, let me know, mon ange.” Almost immediately the other jerked his hands away, Danny giving him a startled look, “Whoa, you okay?” 

“You- I-” The ghost’s face was a bright flushed color, eyes wide and shocked. 

“ Wow, haven’t seen you blush this much in ages. Kind of forgot how cute you are when you  _ do  _ blush.” Andrew only blushed harder, all words lost when Danny laughed and lightly kissed him on the cheek. 

“How- Where did you hear- You know French?!” Danny’s amused look slowly faded to one of worry, hand moving to cup Andrew’s cheek. 

“ Andrew, are you alright? You don’t seem yourself today.” Andrew only quickly teleported himself away, looking frazzled, and if his eyes were looking for nearby exits? Well, no one had to know that except the halfa staring at him in shock. “Okay...you’re not usually one to teleport- You  _ hate  _ teleporting. What’s with you?” 

“I- Uh- I think I should be asking that of you.” Danny only tilted his head in confusion, eyes flicking up to the ceiling. 

“No, Vidya, I don’t know what’s going on- With either of you! You both sound as panicked as the day I got-” Andrew watched as Danny stopped mid-sentence, eyes flickering back to their usual green as he confusedly looked around the room. “Um...what...am I doing here?” 

“ Mon cher, there is a limit to how worried you can make someone, and you have me  _ deeply  _ worried.” Danny looked to the other in confusion, glancing back down to his hands in confusion. “What’s the last thing you remember?” 

“Oh shit- Did I do another one of those memory wipe rampages?!” At the look on the other’s face, Danny looked around the library in fear and worry. “I didn’t hurt anyone, did I?! Is Vidya okay?! Did I destroy any books-” 

“ Danny-  _ Calm down _ . No, there were no rampages this time.” Andrew flew back over, steering the teen towards the couch as he let out a sigh of relief. “Just...you acted as if you were someone else, if I were to explain it.” 

“Someone else? What do you mean?” Seeing the worried look, Danny felt his heart sink. “I didn’t say or do anything bad, did I?” 

“ No, no, not bad...just strange.” Another light blush appeared on the ghost’s face, Danny biting his lip to keep his laugh in. He had never seen the ghost  _ blush _ . It was...rather cute, actually. “As if...I’m not sure how to explain it...as if you knew me longer than you have.” 

“That does sound pretty weird. And, I mean, the last thing I remember are those ghostly plants- Something about ghost nip- Hey, is Cujo here? Is he okay?” Danny looked over to where the ghost pointed, amused to see Cujo quietly chewing on the strap of a messenger bag. “You know you’re not going to get that back, right?” 

“I assumed as much.” Seeing the teen’s troubled look, Andrew sighed and took a seat beside him. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about too much-” 

“Why did you get so angry at Spectra?” Danny watched as his friend froze, giving him a guarded look as he thought over what to say. 

“You...remember that?” 

“It’s kind of a blur, to be honest. My mind felt really clouded, like after days of no sleep, you know? I remember Spectra showing up, and you getting angry? Then I remember...being...content...and happy? Then everything sort of snapped back into focus.” Well, at least the teen didn’t remember anything about the knives, or whatever else he may have heard. 

“ You make it sound as if you aren’t happy now,” Andrew mumbled, rubbing at his eyes again. It had been  _ far  _ too long a day for his liking. Distracted by his thoughts as he was, he was surprised when he felt Danny lean against him again, worn and tired expression on his own face. 

“I’m getting better…” Andrew would have been lying, if he said his heart hadn’t broken at those words. Words that carried a heavy burden, one that the teen did so well to mask from the world at large. Biting his lip, the ghost finally sighed, wrapping an arm around Danny, and tugging him closer. “I think I am, at least…” 

“ You will...of that I have no doubt.” 


	12. Family Fun Day

** Chapter Twelve - Family Fun Day  **

** ::  **

“ Hey, Clockwork! I was wanting to ask you something about...about… DANI!” That was all the warning a young half-ghost child had before she was tackled into a clinging hug. “You haven’t visited in  _ forever _ ! When were you gonna come visit me?!” 

“Jeez, cuz, whine much?” Even as she said it, the girl was smiling and hugging back the other just as hard. “I was gonna stop by after this, until, you know, you tried to kill me by tackling me.” 

“Ruuude,” Danny smothered the girl closer, who only whined and tried to escape. Luckily, Danny had a bit more practice with his powers, which made it far easier to hold on to her. “Give it up, you’re now my captive.” 

“Never!” Huffing at the sharp jab to his stomach, the young halfa took her chance to escape, flying over to hide behind an amused Clockwork. “And the name is Elle now, thank you very much! Dani with an I gets to be a mouthful after a while.” Hm. Elle…it suited her. 

“Alright, Elle, for the rest of the day, I am now your big brother!” Seeing the two ghosts share a look, Danny’s grin grew wider. “And I declare it family fun day!” 

“ Is this going to be like our  _ last _ family-” 

“ We made a pact to  _ never  _ speak of that day,” Danny huffed, poking the giggling girl in the forehead. “It was a  _ Phantom  _ pact. That day will never be spoken of again!” Elle only stuck her tongue out, Danny huffing and sweeping her up in another hug. “Captive. You aren’t leaving until quality family fun time is had! And that includes you, Clockwork!” 

Clockwork opened his mouth to protest, only for the words to die off at the twin gazes of sadness shot his way. There were many things the time master could do...saying no to this family was not one of them. “Where, exactly, were you attempting to take multiple ghosts on an outing?” 

“ Amity Park Boardwalk!” Danny declared, transforming back into his human half, and prompting Elle to do the same. They both looked at Clockwork, who only raised an eyebrow back. “I may be clueless a lot of times, but I’m not  _ that  _ clueless. I know you have shapeshifting powers that will make you appear human!” 

“ Can we go kidnap Jazzy too?” Elle asked, Clockwork only sighing as he took a form he hadn’t in many ages, glaring distastefully at the two legs that were now in place of his usual tail. “Aha, whoa, cool! You look like me and Danny, with the whole blue eyes and black hair- Well,  _ I  _ have black hair-” 

“It was a hair dying accident!” Danny snapped, glaring down at the girl he was holding in his arms like he would an overly large puppy. Elle, on her part, only seemed content to be carried around. “And why are you so tiny? Aren’t you supposed to be, like, 13, right now?” 

“ Says the one who looks  _ shorter  _ than the last time I saw him! Oh! Oh! We should bring Andrew too!” Danny opened his mouth to respond, only to pause and glare at Clockwork, who flashed him a sunny smile. 

“Betrayer of trust.” 

“Now, now, Daniel. I was only catching her up on what had been happening since she left,” Clockwork soothed, placing his staff down near the time mirrors and opening a time portal without it. “Now, let us go and pay our resident bookworm a visit, shall we?” 

::

Andrew Riter, ghost and resident of the Ghost Zone, had been innocently writing in his notebook, and maybe sitting on top of one of the shelves, when he heard multiple voices. Voices that had him sighing and peeking his head over the shelf. “Yo, GW! We’re kidnapping you for family fun day! Resistance is futile.” 

“So it seems,” Andrew grumbled, slipping off the shelf and landing on the floor, looking over curiously to the young girl in Danny’s arms. 

“Yo! I’m Elle. I’m his little sister for the day, apparently. Also, you’re really cute, and I think he really likes you, and you should just ask him out-” 

“Listen here you traitorous little brat,” Danny growled, covering the girl’s mouth. “Say one more word and I will not hesitate to take you to Jazz and complain that you need a stable life and home. No more free roaming!” Elle growled back, eyes flashing green as Clockwork sighed from behind them. 

“Daniel, don’t threaten your sister-” 

“Ow! She bit me!” 

“That’s what happens when you cover her mouth- Oh, for…” Andrew watched as Clockwork rubbed the forming headache that was behind his eyes, both Phantoms running around Vidya and screaming at each other in Latin. 

“So, how’s parenthood?” Andrew asked innocently, smiling at the glare he was given from the human-looking time ghost. “Well, now I simply have to go on this outing. If only to see your continuous suffering.” In a flash Andrew was in his human illusion, braces and street clothes included. “Hmph. Stupid braces.” 

“Aw, but they’re so adorable,” Danny whined, walking back over with a squirming Elle in his arms. “What color are your brace bands? Let me guess, let me guess, um...purple?” 

“Blue, actually,” Andrew hummed, watching as Danny winced at the bite to his arm. “I’d let her go, if I were you.” The teen did just that, Elle immediately running over to stare at Andrew, giving him a thumbs up. 

“100% little sister approval!” 

“You little-” 

“I’m regretting my choice already…” 

::

When Jazz opened the door to her room, it was to see Andrew hitting his head against the wall with a dull blush, a human Clockwork looking amused, Danny on the floor, and Elle sitting on Danny. She had the immediate thought to close the door and pretend she never saw anything, but really,  _ someone  _ had to keep order. 

“Danny, stop teasing her. Elle, no sitting on him. Andrew, stop panicking, he won’t be clueless forever. Clockwork, your human form is very nice. I take it by Andrew’s as well, it’s family fun day.” The others all looked at her in shock, Jazz only grining. “What? You think I don’t know how to rein in chaos after raising Danny- Speaking of, Elle, come give me a hug!” 

“Eee, Jazzy hug!” Elle was immediately jumping up and running over, Jazz sweeping her into a hug and cuddling her close, happy that her family, broken and scattered as it was, could be together for the day. “So, so, can we really go to the boardwalk?” 

“Of course we can! Now, go beg Clockwork to carry you. He’s weak against you.” Elle nodded, bounding over to Clockwork and giving the most pitiful look she could manage. By the time they were walking out the door to Fenton Works, Elle was comfortably seated on a defeated Clockwork’s shoulders. “Danny? Hey, you coming?” 

“Yeah, just waiting for- Uh...no one, I guess.” Seeing everyone was already outside, Danny glanced back to the stairs. It felt like they were missing someone… Oh well. Probably just his imagination. Shrugging it off, he ran to catch up with the others, dragging Andrew into a conversation about the compared plots between The Soundless Clock and Star Gazers. 

By the time they reached the boardwalk, Andrew was looking both impressed and terrified. “How...do you know these books better than I do? I  _ wrote  _ them…” 

“ You writers are weak-willed. It’s the fans who hold the true power!” At the look he was given by all of them, he only shrugged. “They were really good. Even if there was that  _ one  _ plot hole-” 

“My books had no plot holes!” Danny shot the other a wicked grin, eyes half-lidded as he linked arms with him, humming happily. 

“Not true, mon ange. May I redirect your attention to the Airship Gala?” The ghost fell silent at once, shoulders deflating and pained expression on his face. “There there. It was well hidden, at least.” 

From Clockwork’s shoulders, Elle quietly whispered down to him, “Are you  _ sure  _ they’re not together yet?” 

“They are remarkably stubborn people.” 

“Alright! Now that we’re here, we are officially on the buddy system, which we shall switch off on throughout the day! First buddy system, Elle and Andrew, you’re with me. Clockwork and Danny, try not to destroy the park.” At the look Clockwork gave her, Jazz only shrugged as Elle went to tackle Andrew, dragging him towards one of the rides. “He needs to talk to you, I can tell by the way he keeps staring and not saying anything.” 

As soon as the three were gone, Clockwork looked down to Danny, who smiled. “Your sister is quite terrifying, Daniel.” 

“ Yeah, she is. She’s awesome though. By the way, I had something I wanted to ask you earlier!” Awesome and, apparently, always right. “Yesterday, at Andrew’s, I had another one of those ‘I don’t remember what just happened’ episodes, but only with no rampage. According to GW, he said it was like...I knew him better, or had known him  _ longer _ . 

“Also I keep getting the urge to call him this weird name, but I don’t really know what it means...just that it feels right using it. First time I used it though I think he blushed a lot, this time he just too distracted to notice- But, um, yeah. Any insights to that?” 

Ooo, this was going to be a long conversation… 

::

“ So,” Danny hummed, munching on the small ice cream treat he had gotten while walking around with Clockwork. “I got my powers because you were on the other side of the portal, which makes me half your son, or fully your son? Either way, related, which is why you could interfere in my timeline. It also means that I got my ghost powers from you, which is why these ‘rampages’, or whatever they are, mean I sometimes slip up and remember things that haven’t happened yet, like the nickname I call GW, which means...my angel? I mean, I get  _ everything  _ but that. Why would I call him that?” 

“Truly clueless.” 

“Hey!” Danny huffed at the hand that ruffled his hair, even if he was secretly amused. “So, where do you think the others are?” 

“Well, Elle is 30 seconds from leaping off that building behind you and tackling you to the ground.” Danny nodded, handing his ice cream to Clockwork, who took it and walked a few steps away. A few seconds later and Danny was laughing as he had a squirming and whining Elle in his arms. 

“Here. Trade off. Now you get to have the time talks with her.” Switching Elle for his ice cream he ran over to where Andrew and Jazz were catching up, grabbing Andrew’s hand and tugging him away before he could protest. “My turn with Andrew!” 

Jazz watched them go with a small smile, shaking her head a few seconds later, “Truly clueless, that boy.” 

::

“ You know, seeing how it’s us, I should have expected that massive animal ghost attack,” Jazz hummed, walking between Clockwork and Andrew, each of whom were carrying a passed out Phantom. “The ban from the park for life, now,  _ that  _ I expected.” 

“Such little faith,” Andrew mused, sighing as Danny once again began muttering in his sleep. “Does he always talk in his sleep? Or cling so tightly?” Clockwork was able to easily hold Elle in his arms where she was so small, Andrew, on the other hand, had to carry Danny on his back. He also realized that the teen clung very tightly in his sleep. 

“Yes to both, and don’t be surprised if you have to phase out.” 

“ Lovely.” Falling a few feet behind at seeing Clockwork and Jazz quietly talking, Andrew quirked his lips in amusement. Fentons and ghosts indeed, it seemed, although the younger generation seemed to handle their ghosts a bit differently. Now if he could only predict his own outcome when it came to  _ his  _ Fenton… “You truly are something else, mon cher.” 

::

“Clueless, huh…” Danny Fenton sat on the top of the OPs center, eyes tracing as many familiar stars as he could make out through the light coated city, thoughts racing around his head. He was used to unexpected things happening, that was a given. Son of the ghost of time? See, that one was pretty easy to handle, even if he felt a bit guilty in admitting that Clockwork felt more like a dad than his own did. 

His feelings for Andrew, however...now that was a tough one. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes, wishing he could shut up his thoughts for  _ one night _ . A night of peace he knew would never really come. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.” Falling in love was one thing, but falling in love with a  _ ghost _ ? Someone who would always stay the same, while you withered away and aged and die. Someone who would never leave, while you were only there for a short while… And with the stress his body was under, the way it switched between life and death…

What chance did they ever have… 


	13. Starry Nights

** Chapter Thirteen - Starry Nights  **

** :: **

When Danny Fenton woke up, it was to the lingering fear that  _ something  _ was lurking behind him. Considering he was pressed against the wall of his bedroom, covers wrapped around him like a shield, he had a feeling that was only fear left over from his nightmares. Heartbeat finally starting to slow, slow to something that could never be human, the teen sighed and tumbled out of bed. 

Two rings of light wrapped around him, a comforting sense of cold traveling through him as he left his human body behind, exchanging it for something that felt...right. Taking to the air, he slipped out the open window that was letting in a cool night breeze, gaze softening at the peaceful sight of a night in Amity Park. 

It was late enough to where even the ghosts had returned to their lairs, leaving nothing but empty streets that were lit by warmly glowing streetlamps, a path home for any who found they were still wandering. Windows, he noticed, were mostly dimmed as well, only a few holding lights of those were up late, for reasons he could only guess at. 

A sharp sense of cold pulled him out of his aimless floating, directing his attention to a more heavier populated part of Amity Park. Changing course, and deciding he really had nothing else to do, he flew over, taking his time. With the truce in effect, and the quiet peacefulness of the night, there was really no cause for it to be a ghost attacking. What he did see, upon arriving, however, slightly startled him. 

“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you aren’t trying to enslave this town again.” This town, not his home, because how could it ever be when- “Haven’t seen you around in a while, Nocturne.” 

“Ah, the ghost boy. I should have known you would be skimming the sky this night.” Jeez, and he thought Andrew talked in a poetic manner. “There is no cause for alarm, Phantom, I am merely harvesting energy as I used to long ago.” 

“So...you always harvest energy?” At the nod, Danny curiously floated closer, eyes picking out the almost invisible streams of energy that traveled to the ghost. The best he could describe it would be as grains of sand that were millions of colors, but nothing he could accurately describe. “That means last time was...what? You losing your mind and going on a rampage?” 

“In a way, I suppose my actions could be condemned as such… I was looking for something precious to me and my once Master, something that has been lost to Time itself, it seems… I began my search anew but I was not expecting the obsessive need and desire that took hold of my search. I never meant harm to you or your humans, Phantom. I am still unsure as to why my actions were done in that way.” 

“ Considering I’m exhausted and I barely understood a word of that, I’ll just let you carry on here.” Nocturne shot the young ghost an amused look, slightly surprised to see how tired he looked. “So, hey, do you actually  _ see  _ what people dream of? Like without entering their heads?” 

“In ways I see of what dreams conjure. Images and words, that pass through to me… Some dream of things they wish they had, others of what they need, and so many dream of what they fear. What of you, ghost boy? What do you dream of this night?” 

“You mean you didn’t see?” He had only been sleeping a while ago, plenty of time for Nocturne to have seen what he had been dreaming about, whatever it had been. 

“ Swirls and impressions of pain and sorrow, burdens too heavy to carry, and fears too great to name.” Wow. Yeah. That  _ really  _ helped him. “And the barest flutter of warmth and concern for one who belongs to a world that is not your own.” 

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Danny muttered, now sitting cross legged next to the ghost, feeling rather peaceful in the quiet of the night. Nocturne may have been a powerful ghost, but he wasn’t threatening. Not now, at least. “Doesn’t feel like either world is mine, just stuck- Wow, yeah, no. I’m not talking about all my problems with you.” That earned him a light and airy chuckle, something suited to  the peaceful night. 

“A shame, outside opinions are often helpful, when met with problems we have trouble understanding.” Danny mulled that over, finally giving a shrug. 

“ I guess...hey, here’s something I’ve been curious about. I know ghosts sleep, but do they  _ dream _ ?” 

“Quite a few.” At the curious look given to him, Nocturne laughed and explained. “While a few, like myself and the elder ones, were crafted from the world of spirits itself, others once held breath and life. When a ghost is new to form, there are instincts they find themselves with, cravings they never knew. Traits and habits, however, often cross over with them.” 

“That...kind of makes sense.” He had always wondered, and he wasn’t exactly the best example, after all. “So do they dream of what humans dream of?” 

“In ways...some dream more vividly, as if they are in worlds of their own. Others are able to control the dreams in ways their human selves never could. I know of one bookkeeper who, as of late, dreams of the faintest hints of ice and snow, sure of what he desires, but too cautious to act.” 

“Yeah. Wow. Not sure you should have told me that.” Nocturne studied the young half ghost, troubled expression on the teen’s face as he sighed and scrubbed at his eyes. “That just makes things even harder, you know…” 

::

Danny Fenton peeked his head into the quiet laboratory of Fenton Works, carefully walking down stairs and over to the large computer console. Bringing up Phantom’s file with a few short clicks, both the ones his parents kept and the ones his friends kept, he compared them. 

It was no surprise that his parent’s file had little on him, only that Phantom’s power had increased in leaps and bounds before steadying, sometimes decreasing for a few weeks at a time before steadying again. The other file showed his health statistics that Sam and Jazz made him take daily, to make sure he was healthy. 

They never really looked at them once they were done, maybe if they had… “Not that big a surprise, huh?” Everything was lower than it should be, as it always had been. Ever since the portal accident they had noticed the slower pulse, and that was what led to everything else. The numbers had always been low...but now… 

With a few clicks he closed his parent’s file on Phantom, and deleted the two years worth of data that his friends and sister had collected on him. No need for them to check it one late night, and realize what he had already suspected. No need to worry them. 

“Half alive...and half dead…” 

How much longer would the half last, he wondered. 


	14. Troubles

** Chapter Fourteen - Troubles **

** ::  **

“Mhm. Definitely looks like guy troubles.” 

Danny Fenton tiredly blinked from where he was sitting on the bleachers, Sam a seat above him, and Tucker by his side. The one who had spoken, however, was a person he hadn’t expected to see. “Oh, Val! Hey- Wait...what?” 

“Guy troubles. You.” At the startled look she was given, Valerie rolled her eyes, leaning against the track bars that separated the field and the bleachers. Today was Casper High’s field day, although most students were using the day outside as a way to soak up the early spring sun, or just relax. “Don’t argue with me on this, Fenton. I know what guy troubles look like!” 

“Gee, I wonder how that is,” Sam hummed, grinning at the glare shot her way. “Danny’s just a little pissy, although we don’t know why. We haven’t been able to pry it out of him.” 

“Maybe,” Danny drew the word out, sounding shocked, and on the verge of a breakthrough. “Oh my gosh, Sam...maybe...maybe it’s because...there’s nothing to pry about!” He earned a hit to his head with a spider backpack for his troubles. “Guys, seriously? I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about-” 

“ Dude. We  _ know  _ you. I mean, I’ve known you since before we could properly talk. I know when you’re troubled about something, you get that weird zoned out look on your face. Also, your reflexes are slow.” Danny raised an eyebrow at that, yelping as Sam quickly kicked him off his seat. “See? Slower.” 

“You guys are jerks,” Danny whined, looking to Valerie with the most pathetic look he could manage. “Vaaal. Make them stop being mean!” 

“Not my area.” Pulling herself up on the bars, Valerie settled herself down, Danny crawling back into his seat, Sam pulling him backwards until he fell into the slotted area. “They really have it out for you, don’t they?” 

“He needs to learn to share his feelings,” Sam huffed, kicking Danny’s hat off, and showing golden colored hair that looked just a few shades too jarring. “How many times are you going to attempt to fix your hair before you let me do it?” 

“This is the last time,” Danny huffed, shoving his hat back on. “I don’t look good as a blonde.” Smiling innocently up at Sam, the teen’s eyes grew sharp. “Not like y-” The rest of his sentence was cut off as he was kicked off the bleachers again, this time hitting the dirt face first. Further injury was added when a heavy and steel-toed boot landed on his back, taking the breath out of him. 

“Whoops! My combat boot must have slipped.” Tucker only shook his head and retrieved his friend’s boot, helping Danny up at the same time. “Now, out with it. It’s that tutor of yours, isn’t it?” 

“ Oo, is the tutor you never shut up about?” Valerie asked, grinning at the startled look shot her way. Honestly. Like a puppy. “Not that hard to learn about him when you never  _ shut up  _ about him, Fenton. So, is he cute?” 

“N-” 

“Adorable,” Sam laughed, slipping her boot back on. “Real nerdy bookworm type, bit older, though-” 

“How old?” 

“Think college age.” 

“Oh, please, with those cute looks? Fenton could have him in a day tops.” 

“See, that’s what I keep telling him!” 

“Easy there, buddy,” Tucker soothed, keeping his friend from either turning invisible or fleeing. Either one would be counterproductive, at this point. “You knew this was going to happen eventually. I mean, it wouldn’t happen if you would just admit you obviously have feelings for the guy-” 

“ Well of  _ course  _ I have feelings for him!” Danny snapped, hands clenched in his shirt. “He’s smart, funny, he really cares about me, he’s one of my best friends, and no matter what I know I can trust him with my secrets! How was I not supposed to fall in love with him?!” Realizing what he had just said, Danny immediately jumped up, heading back to the school. 

“Hey- Danny! Wait!” The three quickly ran after their friend, Valerie confused when as soon as they entered the school they saw he was...nowhere. Sam and Tucker, on the other hand, shared a grim look. They had a feeling Danny wouldn’t be talking to them for a while. 

::

“Oh! Danny- Aren’t you supposed to be in school right now? I mean, I know time is not something I’m rather good at keeping, but- Danny...are you alright?” Andrew Riter blinked in confusion as he saw the half ghost, with dark blue hair, head to one of the couches, grabbing the blanket off the back and falling down. Soon, Andrew could only see a small tuft of hair. “Dare I ask?” 

“Humans are stupid and mean,” Danny huffed, snuggling down in his blankets further. “I am running away to here. Forever.” Two white rings changed him back into his human half, the teen only peeking his head out when he felt Andrew gently tug on his hair. “You can’t change my mind.” 

“Mm, fair enough, mon cher. Do you have your phone, however?” Danny nodded reluctantly. “Did you tell your sister where you were going?” At that, the ghost had the teen’s phone in his hand, as well as a pair of sad eyes trained on him. “Alright, alright. I’ll tell her for you, but eventually you will have to tell me why you’re choosing to run away forever.” 

“...eventually.” The word was soft and quiet, barely more than a whisper, as Andrew went to work at dialing up Jazz. Danny watched him try to explain, the ghost wincing in the face of a worried sister. Any other time it would have made him laugh, but thoughts as they were… 

Things would be so much easier if he was a ghost. 

::

“So much for that running away forever thing, huh?” Jazz took a seat next to her brother, who was staring at the sky from the top of the OPs center. She had long given up hope of banning him from climbing such high places, and at least now he would be able to save himself if he ever slipped and fell. “Anything you want to talk about?” 

“Why does being torn between two worlds have to be so hard?” At the quiet and pained voice, Jazz felt her heart breaking. Scooting close, she wrapped an arm around the other, grateful when he didn’t push away. Taking a breath, she tried to organize her thoughts. 

“ Danny...I don’t think… I don’t think any of us will ever really be able to understand what it is you go through, or just how hard it is...but I don’t think you realize that you’re not being  _ torn _ , you’re  _ uniting  _ these worlds.” At the curious look she was given, Jazz gave a wide smile. “Danny, just a few months ago, ghosts were rampaging through the streets. Now they’re having fun and interacting with humans like it’s nothing! 

“ You turned two years of fighting and fear into something  _ good _ . If it wasn’t for you, the ghosts wouldn’t be as peaceful as they are right now, and people would still be afraid-” 

“ If it wasn’t for me, the ghosts never would have found Amity Park, and wouldn’t have be chased by hunters daily. If it wasn’t for me, the humans could have lived never knowing that their fears were real. If it wasn’t for  _ me _ , the portal never would have been activated-” 

“ You don’t know that, Danny,” Jazz cut in, running a hand through the other’s hair, lips ticking upwards at the shade of gold his hair had been turned into. “Maybe...things happened the way they did for a reason. We know Clockwork gave you your powers, instead of letting you die… Maybe he saw something that we’ll never be able to understand. He  _ knew  _ you would be able to handle this burden, of living two lives. I know things are confusing right now, but I know that, one day, they’ll make sense.” 

“...you read too many motivational books.” Danny laughed as he was pulled into a hug, content to be protected by his sister, as he had been since he was nothing but a child. “But...what if...because of how I am… You saw what almost happened to Elle. What if something like that happens to me and- And- ...And I don’t come back…” 

“Then you make the most of every day you have.” 

::

“Is that a picture?” 

“ Pour l'amour de merde-!” A very exhausted Andrew Riter looked behind him to see an amused Danny Phantom. “It’s  _ three in the morning _ . Why in the name of the Ancients would you be visiting at this time of night?” 

“ I don’t need to know French to know those were some very naughty words… Also, I was lonely,” Danny hummed, settling himself down next to the ghost, who had been tucked away in one of the corners of the upper levels. “Same could be said of you being awake, you know. I mean, ghosts don’t need much sleep, but they  _ do  _ need sleep. That and you look like a college student who has finals in two days and forgot to study the entire semester.” 

“Now, that’s just ridiculous,” Andrew scoffed, small smile on his face. “I was always studying…” Shaking his head, he looked back down at Danny, who was not so subtly trying to avoid looking at the framed picture in his hands. Sighing, Andrew handed it over, amused when Danny didn’t waste any time in looking. 

“Is that...you?” 

“Surprised?” 

“ Very, I didn’t know you could actually  _ smile _ . Let me tell you, it’s a shocking revelation.” At the jab to his side, the teen let out a laugh. “Alright, alright. So I guess that means the kid next to you is Randy, right?” At the nod, he looked closer. “Is the woman your mother?” 

“Yes, she is. She was...a very sweet woman, and very amazing.” Giving the teen a considering glance, he finally smiled. “She would have liked you, I think. Would have complained about your messy hair, too.” 

“Oh, as if I don’t get enough of that from you,” Danny huffed, sour expression fading away in moments at the fingers that gently ruffled his hair. “Seriously though, she must have been amazing...you must miss her, huh?” 

“ More than even words could describe.” Danny leaned into the ghosts side, happy when he wasn’t pushed away. “What  _ does  _ bring you here, mon cher? You aren’t the type to come all the way over here in the early morning hours simply because you were  _ lonely _ .” 

“ I…” Danny trailed off, fingers tracing the edges of the frame in his hand. “You must  _ really  _ miss her, huh?” Andrew nodded, rubbing at his eyes, and too tired to wonder about Danny’s repeating question. 

“Very much so, yes. That’s one of the reasons why I push people away so much, and refuse to get close to them… I’ve already lost so many people, mon cher. I wasn’t sure how many more I could lose…” Well...that just settled that then, didn’t it? “Sorry, I’d rather not burden you with my emotional baggage, what were you here for?” 

“Oh, you know...like I said, just felt lonely. Figured the night owl ghostly writer would be up and about, plus Vidya loves me much more than you.” Chiming notes rang in agreement, Danny grinning widely at Andrew’s scoff. “Hey, hate the lair, not the ghost!” 

“You are a troublesome little brat,” Andrew huffed out, Danny only happily leaning into the ghost’s side. 

“ Yup, but I’m your troublesome brat, which means you’re stuck with me.” This he could handle, being friends, and keeping somewhat of a distance. This was something they could  _ both  _ handle. His own suffering he could handle easily, but the thought of hurting Andrew, of putting him through more loss...that was something he could never do. 

“So it seems…” He was fine with the warm smiles he was given, and never any more. Perfectly and completely fine. 

Now if only he could believe that lie… 


	15. Snow Day

** Chapter Fifteen - Snow Day  **

** ::  **

“How much blunt force trauma would it take to knock me unconscious, I mean, just out of curiosity.” 

“Quite a bit of force, more than the average person can scrounge up, despite what television says. Think heavyweight boxing hits, unless you know the weak pressure points of the human skull. Generally this would mean headbutts, open palm strikes to the nose, elbows to the side of the head, and similar styles of attack- Wait, was that question rhetorical?” Danny stared at Andrew silently, not quite sure how to react to the information he had just been given. “Danny?” 

“ Well, I mean, it  _ was  _ a  _ little  _ bit serious, so, thank you?” Instead of ducking, like he might have once, he only laughed at the book that was tossed at his head, powers reaching out to hold it telekinetically much like Andrew’s own did. “Tsk tsk, Andrew. Don’t you know not to treat books like that?” 

“I had absolute faith that you would catch it, mon cher. I see you’ve been improving in your powers?” Danny shrugged, turning the book around in the air and sending it back towards Andrew, who redirected it to it’s proper place. 

“Sort of. It comes in waves and bursts. Sometimes I get something, and other times, well, yeah. Not so good.” Probably had to do with more than just his understanding of the power, but he’d keep that part secret for a while yet. 

“Why were you wanting to know how to render yourself unconscious? I didn’t take you for the masochistic type.”Oh man, the jokes that could have been made with that one… 

“ My friends have the tenacity of guard dogs, and are just as protective. Once they sink their teeth into something,  _ they do not let go _ .” 

“ I believe your point could have been made  _ without  _ speaking in Latin, mon cher,” Andrew mused, chuckling at the look shot his way. “They worry about you, is all. I’m sure whatever they have their teeth sunken into, it concerns your happiness and safety.” 

“ You have nooo idea,” Danny muttered, letting out another sigh. It was one thing to maybe be falling in love with his best friend, it was another thing for his  _ other  _ best friends to  _ know  _ about it. “That and the weather back in Amity Park is all warm and sunny, and Vortex is helping out with a small heatwave, getting rid of the last of the snow before April really starts.” 

“Ah, so you’re hiding out here and away from the heat?” Andrew laughed, ruffling Danny’s hair as he passed him by. “I’m surprised you didn’t think of going to the Far Frozen.” 

“Well, I mean, I was thinking about it,” Danny shrugged, turning the cutest look he could manage on his friend, who froze in his steps. “I didn’t want to be...lonely, though.” He counted it as five seconds before his hat was pulled over his head. “Ruuude.”

“ So is mentally trying to control someone’s will with cute looks, besides, snow isn’t my thing. I have yet to experience it in mass quantities, and I am not about to- To...why are you looking at me like that?” The look was like that of a child who had just heard an adult had never seen their favorite animation movie. It was a look that had Andrew looking for an escape. “Whatever you’re thinking of... _ no _ .” 

::

“Isn’t this great?!” Danny would have been bouncing in joy if he wasn’t in the air. Andrew, on his part, only wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck. “Come on, I should introduce you to Frostbite!” Already being pulled along, the ghost sighed and accepted his fate. It was his own fault for not even lasting five minutes against the teen. 

“Ah! Great One! I didn’t expect to see your return so soon!” Frostbite laughed as he hugged the ghostly teen who launched himself into his arms. “I see the snow is having a rather profound effect on your mood!” 

“This is sooo much better than Amity Park’s heatwave,” Danny grinned, letting himself change back to human as he fell down into piles of soft snow, sighing in relief. Andrew was half worried the teen had lost it, considering he was wearing a short sleeved shirt and jeans. “Aah...wake me up when it’s winter again.” 

“You must be the Ghostwriter! I have heard tell of you around the Zone.” Andrew looked over to Frostbite, nervously shaking his hand. While he didn’t exactly have an elemental core, he was still more partial to warmer temperatures than anything. 

“Yes, and you must be Frostbite. Danny speaks fondly of you.” Said teen was now in his ghost half, flying as high as he could into the air before falling. Andrew wasn’t quite sure if he should be amused or worried, at that point. “Speaking of Danny, you haven’t...noticed anything strange with him, have you?” 

“He is one of a kind, Ghostwriter, strangeness walks hand in hand with one such as him.” Frostbite chuckled at the look he was given, patting the man on the back. “I am sure it is nothing he will not be able to work out himself, given the time. He is clever when he puts his mind to it, no?” 

“You’re not wrong there,” Andrew smiled, laughing as Danny flew straight into a snow mound, popping out a second later and looking like a startled creature. “He’s remarkably intelligent, and can accomplish anything he sets his mind to, no matter what he or others say.” 

“I think we shall get along well, you and I!” Andrew winced at the friendly slap to his back, brushing it off with a nervous chuckle. For some reason, he had the feeling that Danny had just gotten him into another mess. “Great One! There is a frozen lake not far from here if-” 

“WOO! ICE SKATING TIME!” Danny was flying past them in a second, skidding to a stop and flying back to tug Andrew along. “Come on, come on, come on, come on, ICE SKAT-” The teen was cut off by hands covering his mouth, eyes sparkling in mirth as Andrew gave a loud and over dramatic sigh. 

“ You’re not going to stop until I come ice skating with you.” Andrew could  _ feel  _ the grin he was being given. “Comme un chiot… Oui, oui, I’ll go ice skating with you-” The ghost could barely finish before he was being pulled along, already wondering if he should be regretting his choice. 

Ten minutes later and he was  _ definitely  _ regretting his choice. “Je ai gardé ma ligne de travail, mais non, je ai dû être  _ noble _ ! Peut-être que si je ne étais pas tellement fichu noble, je ne aurais pas d'attraper mon deuxième décès dû à patin à glace!” 

“I’m not sure what’s more amusing, you trying to ice skate, or you cursing in French as you do so.” Danny pleasantly hummed under his breath as he skated in circles around the ghost, who was doing his best to keep his balance on the slippery surface of the lake. “Do you need help?” He took the glare as a polite decline. “Careful of that crack in the-” A heavy thud interrupted him. “Ice.” 

Gracefully skating over, Danny paused in front of his friend, who was flat on his back, and looking like the world was against him. “You know, maybe using ice skates next time would be better… Do you need help up?” 

“Vous et votre gentillesse baiser.” 

“I’ll just assume that means ‘no but thank you for asking my wonderful and caring and amazing-’” The teen yelped as his feet were suddenly kicked out from under him, sending him crashing down onto the ice. “That was rude.” 

“My natural setting.” Danny huffed and floated himself up, touching back down on the ice and nudging Andrew with the tip of his boot. “I’m not getting back up.” 

“Does this make me Thumper?” That got him another quick kick that sent him crashing down, Danny sending the ghost a glare. “How are you so damn fast?!” 

“Practice~” Floating himself up, Andrew brushed the flakes of snow and ice off, looking down to a still staring Danny. “Dare I ask?” 

“Uh…” Right, no, bad Danny. No inappropriate thoughts about your just a friend. Even if the tone of voice he had used was- Nope! Bad thoughts! “I think the fall gave me brain damage.” 

“You sure it was that and not the concussion you had last week?” At the betrayed look, Andrew rolled his eyes and helped the teen to his feet. “Jazz keeps me informed when it comes to you and stupid decisions, also, you couldn’t even walk a straight line when you came over.” 

“ That’s not the only thing about me that’s not straight.” A second of startled silence later and Danny quietly sighed, shoulders drooping. “Kill me, please. Just...just kill me now. I just...I outed myself with a  _ pun _ ...Sam was right. I have a problem.” 

“Certainly much less dramatic than how my own outing went,” Andrew hummed, nervously touching back down on the ice, happy when he didn’t fall. “Hm, maybe my center of gravity was off where I spend so much time in the air…” 

“Wait, wait- No! You can’t just! You can’t just say that and follow up with remarks about ice skating! You can’t do that to me, GW!” Danny immediately followed after his friend, who was grinning in amusement. “Aaanndddrreeewww!” 

“In my defense, it was Randy who started it. He always did have the talent of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time- Hm, this isn’t so complicated. Just the right changes to the center of gravity, the correct counterbalance, and it’s actually quite enjoyable-” 

“ GW. You’re killing me here.” Danny groaned as Andrew gave a laugh. “Come on, you can’t just do that to me- You can’t be  _ that  _ cruel.” 

“Seeing you beg is so nice, though, mon cher.” Wow. Nope. Those words certainly didn’t help, and neither did the wicked smirk shot his way- Wow. No. He wondered if it was too late to bury himself in a snow drift for a couple centuries. 

“Ehe, um, uh, I just- Um. Wow. Huh. I...don’t know how to respond to that.” 

“ Leaving  _ you  _ speechless? Now there’s something I thought would never happen,” Andrew teased, dodging the snowball that was thrown his way. “Your aim needs improvement, mon cher, as does your dodging.” 

“My dodging is fine-” The rest of his sentence was cut off by a wicked fast snowball to his chest, which easily knocked him back down to the ground. “...how.” 

“Like I said. Practice.” Skating over, Andrew helped the other up, eyes flicking him up and down as he hummed. “You’re good at rolling with the punches, but you seem to not be moving as fast as you should… Try improving your reaction time by watching your opponents.” 

“Yeah, okay...what?” Danny watched as Andrew gathered another snowball, throwing it up and down in his hand. “When you deal with ghosts, for instance, they attack using their palms most likely, where they’re energy is transferred out. When fighting them, you need to watch the palms for movement, and dodge as they prepare to fire.” To demonstrate, Andrew tossed the snowball at Danny, who yelped and ducked. 

“Warning would be nice!” 

“Your enemies won’t give you warning,” Andrew cautioned, gathering another snowball, Danny dodging this time, but just barely. “They’ll use whatever tricks they have to bring you down, which is why you must always be watching-” 

“Constant Vigilance?” Danny joked, sputtering at the snowball to his face. “Hey! When did this happy fun snow day turn into fight club?” 

“When I was able to knock you to the ground multiple times and you never anticipated it. Hm...what weapons do the hunters most often use?” At the serious look on the other’s face, Danny sighed and gave a shrug. 

“It’s always changing, although Mom usually uses pistols and Dad uses cannons. Valerie doesn’t really pick fights with me anymore, so no worries there, and the Guys-in-White are pretty much no problem. Is that important?” 

“Mm, with your mother, concentrate on where she points her weapon, since firing time is so rapid. With your father, you’ll have a few seconds window to do what you need to when the weapon is charging.” At the look he was given, Andrew rolled his eyes and skated to the teen’s side, ruffling his hair. “I’m not going to let you get hurt because no one ever taught you these things.” 

“So, you’re going to teach me?” 

“If you want,” Andrew shrugged, chuckling at Danny’s excited look. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.” 

“Hell yeah- But, hey, where did you learn to fight? I mean, this is some pretty advanced stuff.” 

“Toujours avec votre curiosité… I’ll explain another time, mon cher. Just know that I have your best interests at heart.” 

“Well, duh, I already knew that,” Danny grinned, laughing at the startled expression on Andrew’s face. “So, I need work on dodging, right? That’d actually help, keep Jazz from yelling at me all the time.” 

::

By the time Danny finally arrived back at Fenton Works, it was well past sunset, although that did nothing to stop him from pulling out his phone and speed dialing one of his friends. “Hey, Sam? What? No, I’m not dying- Is it that late?” 

A glance to his clock showed that yes, it was indeed  _ that  _ late. “Oh, uh, I just got back. Sorry? Look, it’s important, okay! Right, well, you said you knew French, right?” Nodding to the complaints of her parents forcing her to learn, Danny gave another smile. “Still know French? Good. 

“ Think you can teach me?” 


	16. Woes and Defeats

** Chapter Sixteen - Woes and Defeats  **

** ::  **

“If anyone asks, you never saw me!” Clockwork, Master and Seer of Time, sighed as a high strung teenage half ghost flew past him, crashing into one of the back rooms. Judging by his lair’s angry ticking, he had managed to make quite the mess. “I’ll clean that up, I swear!” 

“Yes, I know he won’t clean that up.” He didn’t need his lair or time powers to know that Danny would worm his way out of it. It was a few more moments before the citadel doors banged open again, a pair of Observants angrily flying in. It took all Clockwork had to not laugh at the fact their skin was a bright pink. “Nice to see you, Observants. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit-” 

“We know your little time brat is here, Clockwork!” Control, Clockwork. Blasting the Observants out of his lair would do little good...well, at least in the long run. “He cannot keep getting away with acts such as these, not when his future-” 

“Is still undecided,” Clockwork broke in, eyes starting to narrow. “For all your wisdom and sight, you seem to forget that Daniel is still a child. He is still learning, and growing. His future is one he can craft with his own hands, no matter what you or I have to say on the matter.” 

“ This is not a game you can keep playing! He is a  _ danger  _ to this world- Did you not see what almost happened in his timeline- What could still happen?!” 

“ You mean the timeline in where he mourned the loss of family that was cruelly taken away from him- The timeline you  _ forced  _ me to change so it happened sooner, and when he was younger, and unable to truly handle what had happened to him- The timeline where he was a  _ child grieving his lost family- _ Is that the timeline you are referring to?” 

“Your wit is not appreciated, Clockwork.” The Observants were glaring now, something Clockwork took pleasure in. It was always nice to piss off the all-seeing floating eyeballs. “That boy is a menace- He and his whole kind should be dealt with-” 

“ _ His  _ kind?” 

“Those blasted halfas! Those uncontrollable spirits that should not exist- That should never have survived! They are a threat to this world and this timeline, they should be-” 

“ I work with you for the good of the worlds, and I would not so easily go against that… But know that if you say one more word against the halfas, two of which are  _ my children _ , I will not be so easily appeased, Treasurer.” The Observant with a blood red sash tied around his waist scoffed, him and his companion turning to leave. “Please do feel free to visit again.” 

“You cannot always protect that boy, Clockwork.” The citadel doors slammed shut, a heavy silence filling the room as Clockwork let out a small sigh, shoulders sinking as he finally released his tight grip on the time staff. 

“Daniel...you can come out now.” It was a few more seconds before the teen reluctantly appeared from where he had been invisible, hunched over and looking as small as the child he pretended he wasn’t. “Pink, hm?” 

“I, personally, think it’s a great color on them. Very chic.” 

“I, personally, would have to agree with you.” Danny beamed at that, hopping into the air and moving to hover near Clockwork as they looked to the time mirrors, which were showing a fantastic image of multiple Observants coated in pink dye. “I am quite impressed by how many you managed to dye.” 

“Sam is a master with dyes that stain the skin, and Tucker rigged the best automatic distribution system. And of course I may or may not have convinced Andrew to rewrite reality a bit to change the guard times.” Forcing the change around his legs, Danny reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of the Observant carnage before putting it back. “I should make a scrapbook and have this as the cover image.” 

“I have a feeling that book would be filled with images that most would not want seen.” 

“Maybe…” Danny hummed, glancing back at Clockwork and falling silent for a few moments. “So...exactly how long have the Observants wanted me dead?” 

“Is this a conversation we really must have?” At the pathetic and hurt look he was being given, Clockwork figured that yes, it was one that they needed to have. “They are...wary, to things that are unprecedented. Halfas, it seems, are at the top of that list.” 

“Why? I mean, I know we’re kind of rare and not meant to exist and all that, but that doesn’t mean they have to immediately kill it with fire and all that junk.” Although, comparing the Observants to his parents at times...there were quite a few similarities. 

“ Clearly you have little idea of just how often they have used that approach,” Clockwork snorted, looking to his staff in contemplation. “They send their  _ pet  _ Grim Reaper to clean up the messes that they themselves can never be bothered with.” 

“ Pet Grim Reaper? What- Oh... _ Oh _ .” Danny bit his lip, finally floating over and bumping into Clockwork, smiling at the curious look he was given. “Now you’re just being depressing. And you know what it means when you’re acting depressing!” At the raised eyebrow, Danny quickly pulled the ghost in for a hug. “Hugs. Depression means hugs.” 

“Or, in your case, a certain bookworm…” 

“What?” 

“Nothing.”

::

“Oh? Did Clockwork finally get sick of you?” Danny blinked from where Andrew was standing over him, books in his arms as shook his head. “You know, before I met you, I didn’t have to worry about strange teenagers tumbling out of time portals.” 

“ I’m not  _ that  _ strange. And he didn’t get sick of me. I was just politely informed that if I touched the time mirrors ‘one more blasted time’ I would be kicked out. Didn’t think he would actually do it, but, you know, here I am. Also, why do you have books about steampunk in your arms?” 

“That would be none of your business,” Andrew mock huffed, poking Danny in the side with his foot, and rolling his eyes when the teen latched onto his leg. “Remarkably clingy today, aren’t you?” 

“It’s spring break, duh. Jazz went off to tour some colleges and won’t be back until tonight, Tucker went to a tech convention with his parents, and Sam went to, um...I think France?” At the raised eyebrow, Danny shrugged. “I wasn’t paying attention, really. I was too busy thinking of ways to annoy you.” 

“Flattering.” Finally phasing his leg out, Andrew rolled his eyes as Danny bounced up and followed after him. “Speaking of being annoying, how did your prank with the Observants go?” 

“Oh, you know, they want to kill me even more now, but I got pictures!” Changing into his human half, Danny pulled his phone out, flipping through to the pictures of the pink Observants. “And Clockwork stuck up for me, and sent them away sulking, so that’s always fun.” 

“Indeed. Well, if you’re insistent on following me, you can at least help me carry these to the garden.” Danny nodded and took over half the pile, face scrunching up in confusion after following Andrew for a few seconds. 

“ Wait… Garden? You have a garden?” His question was answered when they came across two glass doors, further back in the library than Danny had ever been. “I know lairs don’t really follow the laws of physics, but exactly how big  _ is  _ Vidya?” At the ringing notes in his head, Danny raised an eyebrow. “Bigger on the in- Really?!” 

“ _ This  _ is the garden.” Alright, Danny had to admit...he may have stopped breathing for a few seconds. If he had thought Sam’s greenhouse was impressive, that was  _ nothing  _ to the domed building that housed what looked like a  _ forest _ , warm golden sunlight shining down on bright green grass. “I was rather inspired by the Secret Garden.” 

“Yeah, the rose bushes sort of give that away,” Danny nodded, walking down a stone path, eyes wide as he took everything in. “How...is there sunlight in here?” 

“To be honest, I have no idea,” Andrew laughed, powers opening two doors in the back, which he quickly sent the books into. “It’s always been like this, reflecting the time and weather of the Ghost Zone in a way that rather resembles the human world, specifically that of Amity Park, but that may be where we’re so close to a stable portal.” 

“So...it’s about noon back in Amity Park?” Danny asked, grinning at the nod. “That...is pretty cool.” Walking around for a few minutes, with Andrew leisurely following after him, the teen finally found the sunniest spot in the garden and flopped down, sigh of content leaving him. 

It was another few minutes of peaceful silence before he noticed Andrew had settled down beside him, back leaning against a large tree as he typed away on a laptop he must have left to get. “So, when were you planning on telling me about the large bruise on your side?” 

“Um…” 

“You flinched when I poked you there, when you first appeared. After that you had to shift your grip on the books, twice, and kept trying to put as little pressure on it as possible. Considering your high threshold for pain tolerance, it must be rather bad.” 

“...damn you and your logic,” Danny huffed, gaze trained on the tufts of grass that slowly moved back and forth with his breath. “Any other deductions you would like to get out of the way, Sherlock?” 

“ Alright, considering we’ve been working on your dodging techniques, it was obviously a hit that took you by surprise- Except none of the ghosts have been attacking you lately, and when dealing with hunters, you always keep your wits about you. This was a hit that you saw coming and didn’t bother dodging, which means it happened when you were in your human side, most likely at school. Final deduction,  _ Watson _ , you still refuse to fight back against the bullies at your school.” 

“...I… I’m sort of too impressed to be angry…” Danny finally muttered, watching as Andrew paused in his typing to let out a fleeting smile. “Does that mean I’m about to get an angry lecture on standing up for myself?” 

“Not if you tell me the name of the student who hurt you.” Vaguely remembering Spectra, and how quickly she had been driven off, Danny narrowed his eyes. 

“Are...you going to kill this student?” 

“...Of course not.” 

“You hesitated,” Danny pointed out, sighing at the smile shot his way. “Please don’t kill my classmates- Wow...didn’t think that was something I would have to repeat, but there it is.” 

“ I didn’t plan on ending his life...only teaching him a, ah,  _ lesson _ .” Well aware of what that lesson could entail, Danny sighed and shook his head. 

“Now who’s the protective one, mon ange?” Andrew once again paused in his typing, looking up to see that Danny had his eyes closed, and was edging towards the most relaxed he had seen him. After being told about his relations to Clockwork, Andrew supposed the incident with the ghost nip had made sense. As well as sometimes calling him a name in French that he shouldn’t know. 

That still left the question of why Danny would call him something like that to begin with, present  _ or  _ future. “Vous étiez tellement inattendu, mon cher…” Seeing the teen stir, Andrew watched Danny yawn and open his eyes a crack. 

“You know, it’s kind of fun to hear you speak French, even if I don’t know what you’re saying. It’s...nice.” The teen gave another yawn, closing his eyes and settling down. Andrew waited until the teen’s breath was slow and even before he spoke again, the tone that of one who was finally defeated. 

“ Je t'aime, mon petit héros...” 


	17. Sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : mentions of past character death through fires and electrocution

** Chapter Seventeen - Sorry  **

::

“ _You shouldn’t be here.”_

“ _Uh, yeah...where is...here?” Vague swirls and impressions and voices that were so so so familiar but he couldn’t quite place because it should be impossible it should be beyond impossible what he was seeing and what he was hearing and walls stained with blood and regret and he didn’t know where he was and nothing was making sense and too much to see too many possibilities and_

_ wrong wrong wrong  _

“ _ You. Shouldn't.  _ _** Be. Here. ** _ ”  _ It was a voice that was familiar familiar familiar so so so familiar but different and wrong no not wrong like it wasn’t meant to be but wrong in the way that he was trapped and hidden away and caged in ways he could never understand but maybe would understand if he didn’t  _

“ _I… Why am I here? I don’t-” White and black the two colors that switched and swapped and inverted and controlled what life he had left and red and green the colors he bled and bled and bled and bled and bled and bled and bled and he never stopped not since that first day with the press of a button and a swath of pink that started growing and growing and he couldn’t see or hear or speak and it was all so_

_ wrong wrong wrong  _

“ _Get out of here, Kid. It’s too late for me, it’s been too late since the day I stopped listening, since…” Memories that were his yet weren’t things he had seen yet would never see and moments that were never meant to be but had been once and “There’s no tragic villain here for you to save...just a broken hero who never knew what was right…”_

“ _ No! There has to be some way- I can’t just-” Pink and red and harsh bright colors the seared his eyes and burned and it was all so wrong it was so wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG  _ _** WRONG WRONG WRONG-  ** _

_ a flash of light and energy swirling and power crackling and life being taken and  _

_ click  _

“I could be wrong, but I don’t believe an impromptu snow storm is good for my flowers.” Danny confusedly looked around him, core pounding in a way that would resemble his panicked heartbeat. The area he had been lazily sleeping in was covered in snow and ice, including Andrew, it seemed. 

“Um...would saying sorry help me at all here?” He hoped the snowball to his face was a yes. “Sorry, I just… Guess it was just a stupid nightmare, heh. Not sure what’s with all the snow-” A pounding boom of thunder cut off his words, as well as a streak of powerful lightning. “The Ghost Zone...gets thunderstorms. Great.” 

“Not a fan of storms, I take it,” Andrew mused, helping Danny to his feet, and brushing off the snow that had gathered on his head. “I can certainly share the sentiment, especially the storms of the Zone. They’re rather...exuberant.” 

“ Dude, GW, why do you have to use words that aren’t even on my  _ spelling  _ lists. I mean, really?” He took the smack to his head as a form of sentiment. 

“Come on, let’s wait out this storm where there’s not a dome of glass over our heads.” Danny blinked and nervously looked to the ceiling at that, flinching at the streaks of lightning that tore across the sky. Distracted by the storm as he was, it was a few seconds before he noticed Andrew was pulling him along by the hand. “We’ll get some coffee and then you can finish that English essay that you lied about completing.” 

“ O-Oh, heh, was, um, was kind of hoping you didn’t notice that.” Judging by the expression, Andrew kept closer tabs on his homework than he thought. “I mean, come on! I have to write about the theme of understanding Iambic Prose- What even  _ is  _ that?! I mean, iambic is something used in poetry, right? But prose is  _ literally  _ the definition of writing that  _ isn’t  _ poetry! What do I do with that?!” 

“ Shelving away my complete and absolute loathing for your English Teacher, and his ridiculous lessons and syllabus-” Danny was impressed by the hatred he could  _ feel  _ in those words. “-think of Iambic Prose as poetry that takes the form of prose, but has the features found in poetry.”

“Features such as...what?” Danny prompted, Andrew shaking his head as he pushed the teen towards one of the kitchen chairs, Danny happy to realize that the thunderstorm was rather distant sounding from the safety of the small kitchenette. 

“I suppose a few would be sound-play, use of imagery and rhetorical devices - think of metaphors or similar - or a piece that conceals an overall general point about the world, or feeling, and putting it into a description that relies on showing, rather than telling- That’s one of the most important lessons of writing. Show, don’t tell.” 

“Yeah, that and it boosts up your word count,” Danny snickered, smiling innocently at the look shot his way. “Just stating my opinion. I mean, you can just say ‘so and so did this before’ and then lead into the next scene, or describe the whole ‘so and so’ thing they did. Gets kind of lengthy, after a while.” 

“I sense criticism in your words,” Andrew hummed, handing Danny a cup of coffee, and then sitting down with his own. “Is this going to end up another debate about the Galaxy Faires?” 

“ If you had  _ just  _ made it to where-” 

“ Nope! Said and done, published book, sold thousands of copies- And that was in the  _ eighties _ , mind you.” 

“Yes, the eighties, that time period where star travel was everything, and as such science fiction sold much better than it would in today’s market.” Danny happily drank his coffee, more amused by Andrew’s scoff than anything. “You can’t even come up with a counter argument to that, can you?” 

“I could if I wanted to, I just know that you’re stubborn and won’t stop bringing in useless points until you win.” 

“You raise a good point,” Danny nodded, blinking as he noticed his backpack was suddenly by his feet. “How...did that get here?” 

“Vidya can control things in here just as much as I can,” Andrew grinned. “She must agree with me when we say you need to finish your homework.” 

“Boo, that’s boring,” Danny groaned, glaring as his English binder floated itself out of his bag and opened in front of him to a clean sheet of paper, reading glasses floating to rest on his face as well. “Nooo. I don’t wanna.” 

“ I can’t seem to remember, but will you be turning sixteen shortly, or  _ six _ ?” Danny’s only response was to stick his tongue out. “Lovely. At least  _ attempt  _ to work on your paper. Do you have a rough idea of what you should be doing?” 

“I’d rather it be Art,” Danny grumbled, waving off Andrew’s curious look and finally forcing his change back to human. “Nothing, nothing. Just, um, right. Weird poetry prose thing… I probably know what to do here. Probably.” He managed to write a sentence before he was talking again, Andrew shaking his head in amusement. “So, hey, not trying to distract you or anything, or postpone me needing to work on this, but I was kind of curious, how many years did you actually teach? Cause I’m pretty sure if anyone else tired to teach me this stuff, they would fail. Horribly.” 

“Actually, I never formally taught.” Danny looked up in surprise, confused as he saw Andrew had gotten back up and was rustling through the cabinets, coffee cup abandoned on the table. “I was never able to finish my exams- All for the best, really. I probably would have failed, considering how hard they were that year.” 

“What...do you mean?” He wondered if it was too late to back out of this conversation, because he had a feeling it wouldn’t be going in a good direction. 

“Oh, you know how it is! Stay up all night studying, trying to cram- Which really is a horrible studying technique, I do not recommend it- ...Finals were just a day or two away, it happened to be my third year. It always seems to be third year that’s the hardest… It… 1983.” Andrew paused from what he was doing, finally shooting a smile back at Danny. “It’s funny, really. I never think much on how I died.” 

The cold sense of dread that filled Danny to the brim was not a pleasant thing, he realized, “I- I didn’t mean- You don’t have to talk about it-” 

“It’s fine, just a past memory, is all,” Andrew waved off, smile falling for a few seconds. “I don’t...quite remember it the way I should, I think- See, I was at the college library that night- This library, in fact.” 

“Then...Vidya-” Sorrowful violin music filled his head, bringing with it a sense of loss, and long accepted peace. He had a feeling that Vidya had only spoken to him, in that moment. 

“There was a fire.” Andrew now looked to be lost in memories, eyes holding a glazed look as he stared at the counter. “It was late, near midnight, and the campus was deserted. Everyone had already returned home- I was the only one stubborn enough to keep studying...or maybe I was trying to forget…” A harsh and broken laugh left the elder’s lips, smile holding no warmth. “I was always trying to forget. It seems that’s all I do, now and days...try to forget- 

“According to later reports I died before the fires even reached me. Smoke inhalation. I don’t remember the fires, though… Just...a chill. Maybe all ghosts forget the exact moment they died, or perhaps all my trying to forget finally paid off. Maybe I just don’t want to remember...because to remember…” 

Before he was fully aware, he was being hugged tightly by a half-ghost teenager. “I’m sorry, Andrew…”  _ I’m sorry, Andrew…  _

“It-” Danny was surprised when a few moments later he was hugged back just as tightly. “It’s not like it was your fault, hm? Not your fault at all…” It was a while before the two recollected themselves and grabbed their coffees, deciding to head towards one of Andrew’s offices to work. 

“So, um, exactly how many rooms does Vidya have?” 

“ Quite a few. You’ve already seen the garden- Which we actually need to go back to, considering I left my laptop in there. That and I want to check on the glass stability…” Shaking his head, Andrew spared the teen a smile. “New rooms appear here and there over the years, Vidya adding them and rearranging as she sees fit. If you think all of this is impressive, you should see the Alexandria Archives.” Seeing Danny’s eyes widen in shock, Andrew gave another grin. “You’d be amazed at what knowledge crosses over once burned, of course, not as much as I would  _ like _ …” 

“ Wait, wait, wait. Alexandria as in  _ the  _ Alexandria!? As in the lost scrolls and books that hold knowledge that was hundreds of years ahead of humanity before it was all lost in tragic fires?!” The expression of excitement was a thing of wonder, truly. 

“Nice to see you’ve been keeping up with your history homework,” Andrew chuckled, full out laughing when Danny clung to him and gave him the most pathetic look he could manage. “Yes, yes, I’ll have to show you the archives. When Vidya finds them.” 

“Uh...what do you mean ‘finds’ them?” 

“ It  _ is  _ a remarkably large library,” the ghost hummed, once again pushing open the doors to the garden. “I’ll just get my laptop and we can go, the glass looks to be holding alright-” As if the words had been waited for, a terribly loud cracking sound echoed throughout the room, both looking to the ceiling and seeing the large crack that ran through the glass. “That...won’t end well.” 

“ Gee, you think-” A thunderous blast of thunder and lightning cut the teen off, glass shattering in seconds. He faintly heard Andrew swear, but most of his focus was on the sky, where streaks of lightning were playing across his vision, lightning that looked so  _ so similar and it was just a button just one click he didn’t know what he was getting into he really truly didn’t it was just something that had happened and then  _ _** burning  ** _

“Danny?” 

_ Burning burning burning all he could remember was burning and screaming and pain and flesh melting from bones and insides cooking and he couldn’t breath and he could only scream and pray for it to end pray for death pray for something to give pray for it to just  _ _** end  ** _

“Se il vous plaît me entendre, mon cher!” 

_ So much pain so much so much so much pain pain pain and it was all wrong wrong wrong and his body was dying and he could feel the burns that crawled up his arm and swallowed him whole and made his throat raw with screaming and oh god it hurt so much and there was so much pain and he couldn’t think and even as his body screamed  _ _** wrong wrong wrong  ** _ _ there was something that  _

“Danny!” 

“Um...hi?” Danny blinked as the frantic look on Andrew’s face was replaced by a worn expression, the ghost's shoulders drooping, and his head moving to rest on the confused teen’s shoulders. A quick glance showed that they were no longer in the garden room, and instead a small office area with a large fireplace, lit with warm, flickering flames. He was happy to note that while he could hear the distant thunder, there was no lightning to be seen. “I’ll be honest here, I sort of lost track of things after the glass broke.” 

“That would be around the time you started panicking and was unable to hear me.” 

“ Well, I mean, I wouldn’t call it  _ panic _ ,” Danny huffed, blinking in surprise when the other gently tilted his head up, looking him over with a worried expression. “Would telling you that I’m absolutely fine reassure your frantic worries?” 

“No, it would not,” Andrew smiled, pressing a quick kiss to the top of the startled teen’s head. “Next time you feel like scaring me to my second death, please resist.” 

“ I shall do my absolute best,” Danny nodded, thinking that maybe the fire was a bit  _ too  _ hot, judging by the heat in his cheeks. Yep. His ice core probably didn’t help matters, or at least, that was the lie he told himself. 

“ _ That  _ is an absolute lie,” Andrew mock huffed, small smile appearing on his face. “You are far too attracted to danger, mon cher.” 

“Well, not as attracted as other things…” Danny hummed, absently playing with the ends of Andrew’s scarf, eyes half lidded as the heat finally started to sink in, sending him into a rather lethargic state. Again, he blamed his ice core. A second later and he was holding back laughter as a flustered Andrew mumbled something about getting blankets and towels, cheeks a bright purple. “And you say I’m adorable.” The response was a towel thrown over his head. “Ruuude.” 

“French,” Andrew countered, smiling at Danny’s laugh. “Come on, you can change into these and stay the night.” Just as Danny had wrestled his way out of the towel, he huffed at the spare shirt and pants that fell onto his head. “That storm won’t let out for a while, and flying through it will be too dangerous.” 

“ Yeah, flying through storms is not the best thing to do.” At the look he was given, Danny huffed. “It was  _ once _ , and it was to stop Vlad and Vortex, thank you very much!” 

“...This is why I worry for you, mon cher.” Danny shrugged and pulled himself up, gathering the clothes and towel into his arms. 

“ You should worry about things less, mon ange.” Grinning widely, the teen disappeared into the back room, Andrew wondering if it was too late to escape. Judging by the laughing violin notes and humming in his head, it was far,  _ far  _ too late. 

Danny, in a closed off office that looked more dusty than the front rooms had ever been, had to resist the urge to sneeze. He failed quickly. “Not one word about my kitten sneezes, Vidya!” He didn’t take the wicked humming as a good thing. “Hmph. Traitor!” Kicking his wet clothes off, and figuring that phasing the water off was too much trouble anyways, he quickly slipped on the overly large clothes Andrew had given him. 

“ Wow...I look like the little sibling wearing their older sibling’s clothes…” Danny mumbled, trying to pull up the sleeves that went well past his fingertips. “Or the short boyfriend who wears the other boyfriend’s clothes- Wait. No. Bad thoughts. Bad,  _ bad  _ thoughts.” Cheerful humming suddenly dominated his head, Danny letting out a groan. “ _ Do not _ . Vidya, I’m serious here! Look, you can see into my mind, right? Look into what I’m thinking right now.” 

One minute later he had a book flying off the shelf and into his head. “Ow! Hey! That’s not nice!” This time his wet clothes and towel attacked him, leaving the teen stumbling backwards out the door that had suddenly opened, and right into Andrew’s arms. 

“Dare I even ask?” 

“Your lair is being mean to me- DON’T YOU DARE, VIDYA!” Andrew only shook his head as Danny and his lair got into yet another screaming match. “GODDAMMIT VIDYA, I WILL TELL HIM IN MY OWN TIME!” Seemingly remembering that the one they were arguing about was in the room, Danny looked to Andrew, who only sighed and started dragging him towards the couch. 

“ One day, I will understand why I choose to put up with you.” There was no bite in the words, and Andrew was giving Danny that small and warm smile that he only had around him and  _ son of a bitch _ . 

“ Oh...oooh...wow. I am indeed clueless. I...I feel like I should have seen this sooner. So,  _ so  _ much sooner… I mean, I sort of knew, but I didn’t  _ know  _ until just now, you know?” Still rambling, Andrew quickly and efficiently wrapped the teen into a blanket, and set him down on the couch, which was as close to the fireplace as he was willing to put it. “You know, it’s just a little rainwater. It’s not like I was outside in the snow or anything.” 

“For thirty hours,” Andrew hummed, falling into the seat next to the teen, unsurprised when he immediately had a lapful of content halfa. 

“Nice to see you’re not willing to let that one go.” Wiggling around a bit to get comfortable, he finally had Andrew pinning him down in place with a flustered cough. Honestly, it was hardly Danny’s fault if his smile was a little bit too wicked. “You’re very fluffy, by the way.” 

“Hm, still vaguely insulting,” Andrew mused, fingers going through the teen’s messy hair, untangling knots and snarls. “Is there any chance you would want to explain your panic attack back in the garden, or would you rather I forget?” 

“Oo, is that you giving me a way out?” Danny grinned, laughing at the flick to his forehead. “You don’t really wanna talk about it either, do you?” 

“ Don’t be ridiculous. I’m always here to listen to you, Danny, but only for what you wish to tell me. I won’t force any information out, and I’ll only pester if I think it’s to help. Whatever the case, if you  _ do  _ wish to talk, I am always here for you.” 

“ Stop that. Right now.” Andrew raised his eyebrow, looking down to see a slightly blushing Danny. “Stop being perfect. You  _ cannot  _ be that perfect. It’s- It’s a fact! So just. No. Stop. Right now.” Hearing the laughter, Danny whined and hid his face in the edge of the blanket, left hand uselessly reaching up to swat at the ghost. “Stooop.” 

“Did you- Did you hurt your arm?” 

“ Huh?” Feeling his left wrist grabbed, and the shirt sleeve pulled up, Danny winced at the large electrical burns he could see wrapped around his arm. “Oooh. Right. That.” Judging by the expression the other was giving him, it was a bit more than just  _ that _ . “Yeah, well, see...they’re sort of...electrical burns.” Seeing the other wasn’t about to interrupt, Danny let out a breath. 

“ That’s sort of the reason for the, well...the panic, back there. Lightning reminds me of electricity, and, well… I’m half  _ ghost _ , right? So, I mean, stands to reason that I sort of...half  _ died _ .” Pausing, Danny shook his head. Even now, the memories were so  _ clear _ . “You said you wondered if it was all ghosts who forgot how they died, if they all had their memories blurred...I wish… 

“You know about how Clockwork was standing on the other side of the portal, and that the power passed through him first. That’s why I have my powers, and why the energy turned me, well, ghostly. Like a condensed, and concentrated, version of what happened to Vlad. With double the pain.” Absentmindedly, he let his right hand fingers trace the edges of the burns, and a clear imprint in the middle of his palm that was shaped like a circle. Or a button. 

“ I just- I just wanted to look inside, you know? Let Sam take her pictures - because she had that whole photography phase - and then maybe see what went wrong with the portal. But...that’s what I always said, that I went in there because Sam insisted- But I went in because I  _ wanted  _ to. It felt...like something had been calling me? 

“I just- There was this plate of metal, like a gap, between one step and the next. I didn’t...I didn’t see it. I stumbled, and threw out my arm to catch my balance, and there was this button- On the inside. An-” Danny let his fingers curl into a fist, body shuddering. “An on switch.

“ Kind of stupid of them to put it on the  _ inside _ , but, you know, too late. I mean, I was inside it. I was  _ inside  _ the portal when it connected to the Ghost Zone. All that energy rushing through my body, it might have went through Clockwork first, but...it still should have killed me- Heh, I guess, it sort of did… Just not in a way any of us were expecting… 

“ The, the uh, the electrical burns, they were always in my ghost form, when I was Phantom, but no one ever really knew because of the jumpsuit. I only found out when it got torn one day. They didn’t start showing up on my human body until a few months ago, not long after I met you, I think. By that time, though, I was rather good at using makeup and concealer to hide stuff, like bruises, or scars… Makeup seals and stuff are the best things  _ ever _ , but, you know, guess it probably washed off in the rain.” 

Flinching as he felt a hand on his cheek, he almost laughed as he realized he had been crying. “So, apparently, I guess I cry when I talk about this. Little bit kind of pathetic.” 

“Not at all,” Andrew smiled, readjusting their position on the couch to where they were both laying down, Danny comfortably wrapped up in his arms. “Thank you for telling me, mon cher petit fantôme.” Danny blinked as he felt Andrew carefully hold his left hand, fingers stroking over the burn marks with gentle reverence. This time he really did let out a laugh, broken as it was. 

“ I think...now would be a good time to tell you I’m sorry.” Feeling hands cup his cheeks, Danny forced his eyes shut, refusing to look at the gaze of worry and concern and care and warmth and  _ love  _ he knew was being directed his way. “I’m really,  _ really  _ sorry…” 

“For what, mon cher?”

“ For falling in love with you…” 


	18. Confession

** Chapter Eighteen - Confession  **

** ::  **

“ I mean- I really,  _ really  _ thought I could lie to myself! I thought I could just keep things as they were, you know, and pretend the only thing I felt towards you was friendship- I’ve been living with lies for over two years, right? What’s one more?! But… But Andrew...I’m so tired of lying- And, I just  _ can’t _ -” 

“Oh, Danny… Why did you think you needed to lie-” 

“ Because I’m  _ human _ !” Danny snapped, eyes opening to show a toxic green, a clear sign of how distressed he was. “I’m half ghost and  _ half human- _ You said it yourself, you’ve already lost so many people...I can’t sit back and watch you lose another one. I’ll wither and  _ die  _ and...what if I don’t come back? As a ghost, what if I  _ don’t  _ come back. There’s always a chance I will, but what about the chance that I  _ don’t _ \- I can’t- 

“ It’s already breaking my heart to see you sad as we are right now, I can’t handle the thought of hurting you more when-” Images of numbers, dropping lower and lower, flashed through his head, the crack in his voice growing worse. “I’m going to  _ die _ , and what if I  _ don’t come back _ ? I can’t...I can’t handle the thought of you blaming yourself, or breaking you, when it’s all going to end…” 

The room fell silent, Danny shaking with the effort of keeping it together, when he wanted nothing more than to break and fall apart. He was therefore surprised when he was pulled back into another hug, this one tighter, and more protective than ever. “Why did you never tell me this?” Looked like he wasn’t the only one breaking, then. 

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” At that, he heard a broken laugh, and the mumbled phrase of ‘hero-complex’. “That, and...I was being a little selfish. I was scared you’d stop being my friend, and, well...you’re...you’re sort of everything to me. Before we started spending time together, I was about to lose it… Everyone kept depending on me to the be the hero, to the point where that’s all I was-” 

“ That is  _ not  _ all of who you are.” And weren’t those the words he had always wanted to hear spoken to him? 

“ I love you… I really,  _ really  _ love you- More than I can even  _ understand _ , to where the thought of losing you was more terrifying than anything- I just… I don’t want to lose you, Andrew… I don’t think I can…” Feeling himself tugged away to where they were face to face, he was surprised by the warm and amused expression on the other’s face. 

“You can never do what’s expected of you, hm?” Seeing the startled look, Andrew laughed, and pressed a kiss to the half ghost’s forehead. 

“ You...are being surprisingly okay with this… You know, in the sense that I just poured out my  _ heart and soul _ -” 

“Wow, dramatic, aren’t you?” Danny choked on a laugh before he could stop himself, blinking in confusion, before lightly glaring. 

“No...stop that. Stop making me laugh and be happy! This is serious! This is a serious confession scene! Romeo and Juliet serious!” Andrew shrugged, moving to tug the blanket over Danny, where he still looked to be shivering from the rainwater. 

“Yes, but I’m rather hoping our story is not as dismal as theirs, plus it was poor writing, overall.” Danny’s response was interrupted by the blanket that was pulled over his head, the teen huffing and working on escaping, which was rather difficult, considering Andrew had him pinned down in another hug. “Letters to Juliet had a better plot, when you consider-” 

“I knew it! I knew you liked watching romcoms!” Danny grinned, finally getting the blanket off of him, Andrew only rolling his eyes. “You can’t write sappy love scenes like you do and not- Goddammit! Stop distracting me from-” 

“Being an angsty and over dramatic teenager that doesn’t know how to deal with emotions?” At the groan of despair, the ghost let out a laugh. “You knew what you were getting into the second you started being friends with me.” 

“Sarcastic wit to rival my own,” Danny nodded, small smirk slowly forming. “Also, you should be more careful about what you say around sleeping teenagers.” At the raised eyebrow, Danny grinned wider. “Je t’aime aussi, mon ange.” 

“You-” 

“Aw, you’re adorable when blushing.” Danny laughed as the blanket was once again pulled over his head. “Is now a good time to mention I had Sam teach me some French?” 

“ You are a  _ menace _ ,” Andrew sighed, resting his forehead on the teen’s shoulder, who only let out another laugh. “An absolute menace.” 

“Yeah, well...hopefully...your menace?” 

“That, mon cher, is a question you shouldn’t even have to ask,” Andrew chuckled, moving to press a gentle kiss to the side of Danny’s head, the teen blushing brightly. 

“ This was supposed to be dramatic,” Danny whined, arms wrapping around Andrew’s neck as he cuddled closer. “This was supposed to be really,  _ really  _ dramatic, and tense, and-” 

“Your idea of being dramatic contradicts others’, I believe,” Andrew mused, laughing at the muttered swears. “Well then, mon cher, what now?” 

“ Seriously? You’re asking me? GW, dude, the last few people I’ve dated have all tried to  _ kill  _ me. All of them. I don’t- I don’t have good luck with dating so far. Then again...women are  _ vicious _ . And terrifying.” Pausing for a few moments, Danny let out a sigh. “We’re really not good with this stuff, are we?” 

“No, we are not,” Andrew agreed, small smile on his face. “I think I would be more than willing to try for you, however.” 

“Sappy. So, so sappy.” 

“How do you think I write scenes with Peter and Andrea?” Andrew chuckled, Danny letting out a whine. 

“You know...this might not work. I hate to bring up the cliche of ‘we’re from different worlds’, but, yeah. There it is. Also, when I do die-” Which might be sooner than Andrew would ever realize. “-I might not come back...I might just...be gone.” 

“If that happens, then I’ll count myself lucky for every day until then you allow me to spend with you.” Glancing down, Andrew was happy to see the bright blush the other had on his face. 

“ Goddamn you. This is why they say to not date writers!” Sitting back in the other’s lap, Danny shot him a considering look. “This really  _ could  _ end up not working, though.” 

“I have faith, we are remarkably stubborn people, after all.” 

“I...you’re more stubborn than I am… How is that even possible?” Blushing at the quick kiss to his nose, Danny let out a whine as Andrew laughed. 

“I suppose I learned from the best, oui? Have more faith, mon cher. You’ve done the impossible before.” Danny sighed, his reasons and arguments shattering in seconds, images of flashing numbers nothing but a dull memory. If he had done the impossible before...he supposed...he could try it again. Just once more. 

“You know, if you don’t kiss me right now, I will be severely disappointed.” 

The impossible wasn’t so impossible when you had seen it done before, after all. 

::

Danny’s wonderfully peaceful and blissful mood was interrupted by the sharp ringing of his phone, which was tapping into his head insistently, musical notes playing through his mind. Groaning, he tiredly reached for the phone, giving a large yawn. “Vidya, next time, just throw the phone into a candle, or fireplace, or  _ something _ ." Flipping it open, he immediately heard all three voices from his friends. 

“...I thought Sam was in France?” 

“ _ Four-way call, Danny. Jazz called Tucker and I because you, apparently, haven’t been answering your phone! Where the hell are you?! _ ” 

“I’ll let you know when I figure that out,” Danny mumbled out tiredly, eyes blearily blinking open as he put the phone on speaker, glancing around wherever he was. The first thing he noticed was cool colored pillows and blankets, as well as his ghostly boyfriend- Damn, just thinking the word felt good. “Hey, Andrew, where are we?” 

“ _ Wait, you’re with Ghostwriter? You couldn’t have just told your sister that instead of having her call us and freak out? _ ”  Danny, ignoring the complaining Tucker, nudged Andrew until his eyes were open, although they were rather vacant. 

“Aaanndddrreeewww.” And wasn’t that a new one, Andrew not wearing his purple trenchcoat for once, and just his gray shirt and slacks. An outfit that Danny realized he himself was wearing, due to last night’s unexpected thunderstorm.  

“Bed. We’re in bed, mon cher,” Andrew sighed, already pulling a pillow over his head, Danny pulling it back off. “Nooo, let me sleep.” 

“ _ Wait, wait, wait. Bed...as in  _ bed _ . What, did you guys finally hook up? _ ”  Sam asked in amusement, Danny rolling his eyes as Andrew let out a stream of annoyed French. “ _ WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?! _ ” 

“I said fuck off with the obvious, you harpy, and let me go back to sleep, cuddling my boyfriend after a night spent utterly ravishing him!” Andrew snapped, Danny looking like he was ready to burst out laughing. “In case that’s too many words for you, however, get your tech geek slave to translate!” 

“ _ Hey! _ ”  Tucker yelled, Danny finally letting out a burst of laughter he worked on smothering into his pillow. “ _ What the hell side of the bed did you wake up on?! _ ” 

“Fuck off!” 

“ Oh my god, you are nowhere near a morning person,” Danny breathed deeply, trying to keep control of himself. “This is  _ glorious _ .” Rolling his eyes as he was was promptly cuddled like an overly large pillow, Danny turned back to his phone. “Guys, I’m fine, I’m at Andrew’s. Nothing to worry about.” 

“ _ Yeah, yeah. Next time I see your  _ boyfriend _ , Danny, he’s going down _ ,” Sam huffed, hanging up from her end with a snap, Danny left snickering as the others did the same, Jazz sounding as amused as he was. 

“So, I think that went rather well,” Danny hummed, rolling his eyes at the irritated French he heard grumbled out. “Oui, oui, retour à dormir, mon ange.” 

“You’re slowly starting to learn more French, and that worries me.” Danny laughed, reaching up to press a small kiss to the underside of the ghost’s jaw. 

“As it should.” 

From this side of the day...things didn’t look so bad. 


	19. Mates

** Chapter Nineteen - Mates  **

** ::  **

“So, here’s a good question, did the coffee shop count as our first date?” Danny asked, nibbling on a piece of toast as Andrew cooked breakfast. “Also, why do you have food that is edible to humans, and where did you learn to cook?” 

“ In order, yes, I believe that would count as our first date. This food is not  _ technically  _ edible to humans, as it was found in the Ghost Zone.” Danny stopped his chewing at that, looking down at the innocent piece of toast in his hands. “The toast is safe, mon cher. The rest you can eat as well...probably.” 

“ Oh god, tell me I didn’t just start dating a mad scientist…” At the noncommittal hum, Danny groaned. “I did, didn’t I? I should have seen this coming after ‘Scientific Theory’! There’s no way you could just  _ happen  _ to know all of that scientific jargon!” 

“I picked up a lot of things while I was growing up,” Andrew grinned, setting down a plate of, what looked to be, green eggs. Seeing the look, the ghost rolled his eyes. “Go on, get it out of your system.” 

“Green eggs. Dare I ask where the ham is?” 

“I’m out.” Danny paused at that, slowly smiling. “As for where I learned to cook, it was more of a necessity than anything, while growing up...that and I took a few cooking classes in college.” 

“Oh, I was just going to say it was because you were French.” Danny snickered at the look he was given, taking a sip of his coffee. “Also, your coffee is amazing, and it’s spoiled me. I can no longer drink anyone else’s coffee without cringing.” 

“All part of my evil plan.” Pausing from where he was blowing on his own cup of coffee, Andrew gave a wicked grin. “You might wish to consider wearing a scarf today, however.” At the confused look, Andrew grinned again. “Look in a mirror, mon cher.” 

“Well, that sounded rather evil and diabolical,” Danny mused, digging out his phone and turning on the camera feature, looking down at it and immediately blushing, jerking the collar of his shirt up. “You...are an evil ghost.” He was quiet for a few moments, Andrew finally nudging him from under the table. “What? Oh, sorry. I...got distracted. In thoughts. Many thoughts.” 

“Dare I ask what these thoughts were?” 

“ Thoughts that should not be shared over breakfast,” Danny coughed, blushing even more at Andrew’s look. “I’m a hormonal virgin teenager, okay, you knew what you were getting into! Anyways, on a less traumatizing note, can I spend the day here? I’m sort of not looking forward to going back to Amity and doing  _ nothing  _ for the rest of the weekend.”

“I don’t think it needs stating that you’re always welcome here,” Andrew smiled, standing up to brush a kiss to Danny’s forehead as he put his cup in the sink. “Whenever you’re done, Vidya will show you what office I’ll be working in today- And which office you’ll be completing your homework in.” 

“What?! Are you serious?!” Before he could whine, he was quickly pulled into a sweet and gentle kiss, one that he was happy to note, was becoming more and more familiar. 

“Just because you’re my mate doesn’t mean I’m going to stop getting you to do your homework, which you’re behind on, I’ll remind you.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Danny muttered, waving the ghost off as he went back to eating. He was three bites in before the other’s words finally started to register. “Wait- Mate? Andrew?! Wait!” Thinking on it, jumping up and running in extra long pants probably hadn’t been his best idea. 

::

Andrew had been peacefully typing on his laptop when he felt a spike of terror, followed by a glance that showed half the room was coated in snow and ice. Again. At the center was a heavily breathing teenaged ghost, eyes wide and a frosty blue. It was a few moments before the teen calmed down enough to see what had happened. “S-Sorry. Kind of- Um. Panicked. Again. I just- Sorry.” 

“It’s fine, Danny. You can hardly be expected to control your powers every second of the day.” Danny only nodded as he felt himself wrapped up in a hug, smiling at the gentle kisses he could feel pressed to the top of his head. “Are you alright?” 

“ No.” A second later, the teen froze, Andrew looking down at him in confusion. “I...huh… I never...actually answered no, when someone asks me that question. I mean, it’s always...I have to be fine, you know? I’m the town hero- The one who chases  _ away _ the nightmares- I’m not allowed to say that’s all I see anymore, all I dream about- I’m not supposed to tell someone when I’m scared, or worried, or  _ breaking _ \- I’m supposed to be...perfect…” 

“No one’s perfect, mon cher, and they shouldn’t expect you to be. You’re allowed to grow and make mistakes, just like everyone else.” 

“ Yeah, except my mistakes prove a little more costly…” At the look he was given, Danny let out a sigh, absently using his powers to retract the ice and snow back into nothing, not even leaving a drop of water behind. “I...don’t always do what I should. I don’t always play ‘the hero’. And when I don’t...things...get bad. They get  _ really  _ bad.

“ There was this… Well, accident, I guess...or maybe lesson? It’s… Did you ever wonder how I met Clockwork? Like,  _ officially  _ met him?” At the nod, Danny sighed, tugging Andrew onto the couch next to him and leaning into his side. “It’s a  _ long  _ story.” 

“I hope by now that you know I rather like stories,” Andrew mused, smiling at Danny’s light laugh. “I told you, mon cher, I’m here to listen to whatever you have to say, good or bad.” 

“That’s...that’s good. Cause this one is kind of...kind of bad.” 

And so he told him. Everything he could remember about the mistake of his twisted and corrupted future, every nightmare that spawned from the adventure, every bad thought and fear that history would repeat itself, no matter what he did to stop it. By the time he had finished, he was back in his human form, curled up in Andrew’s lap as they laid on the couch. 

“ So, yeah,  _ technically  _ Dan’s hidden away somewhere in the Clock Citadel, I think. Clockwork was kind of vague on that one, I just… I’m afraid I’ll always turn back into that- Into someone who  _ doesn’t care _ . Someone who...isn’t the hero… It’s not just about the fusing with Plasmius thing- I mean- I just...I don’t know how to explain it. I just feel like it’s something that  _ could  _ happen…” 

“ Even if it’s something that  _ could  _ happen, I don’t think it will, mon cher. That trip through time, it taught you how to use your powers wisely. That’s a lesson that you won’t soon forget, no matter what you may think.” Danny only nodded, cuddling closer, tension draining out of his shoulders that he hadn’t even known was there. 

“So...about that ‘mate’ thing…” 

“Ah, well, yes.” 

::

“I am genuinely curious, how many times have you read that particular book?” Danny jerked himself out of his reading daze, glasses slipping down his nose, as he looked up to Andrew’s fond and curious expression. 

“Um...a lot?” Danny nervously chuckled, not bothering to move from where he was laying across Andrew’s lap. The two had retreated to the garden not long after their talk in the office, Danny settling in the writer’s lap and refusing to move - even if it meant being used as a laptop table. He had then hidden behind his copy of The Soundless Clock, the version Andrew had given him. “I mean...in general, or this particular copy?” 

“I don’t think it quite matters, since both are likely to be in the double digits,” Andrew mused, laughing at the guilty shrug he saw, and pushing Danny’s glasses up for him. “I’m quite certain you could quote the book by page at this point, mon cher.” 

“ I can. Sam and Tucker tested me,” Danny grinned, turning the page and going back to his reading. “I won. Their hair dye didn’t wash out for  _ weeks _ .” 

“Mm, much like your own, yes?” At the hurt look he was given, the ghost rolled his eyes and pressed a quick kiss to the other’s forehead, smiling at the blush it earned him. “I don’t think I can quite remember what your original hair color looks like.” 

“ Ha ha. Sam said she’d help me fix it in a few days or so, not long after she gets back from her trip.” Flipping pages again, Danny stuck his tongue out. “Is there a reason you made Chad sound like such a dick- I mean, even his  _ name  _ makes him sound like a dick.” 

“It was less cliche in the 80s, believe me,” Andrew mused, managing to type half a page in silence before he heard Danny’s horrified gasp. “The betrayal shouldn’t come for another ten pages, you know.” 

“ I just realized...you’re  _ old _ .” Andrew paused in his typing at that, giving Danny a flat look. “You’re  _ parent  _ old...oh my god... I’m dating someone who’s as old as my parents… How  _ old  _ are you?!” 

“22, Danny. Ghosts stop aging the moment they die. It stops our biological clocks, which means personality traits are rather set in stone. It’s one of the reasons Youngblood, for as long as he’s been a ghost, still acts like a child.” Seeing the teen fighting against a question, Andrew sighed. He had a terrible feeling. “Alright, spit it out, now what?” 

Closing his book, Danny sat up in Andrew’s lap, setting the laptop aside and gently grasping his hands. Andrew was starting to worry until the teen spoke, serious expression on his face. “How long...have you  _ been  _ 22-” 

“ NO!” Jerking his hands away, he pushed Danny out of his lap, who immediately burst into laughter. “Do not  _ even _ !” 

“It- It’s okay, GW. I know the truth.” The teen bounced back up, as was his nature, and was pressed against Andrew’s side again. “Your skin is pale gray and ice cold, your eyes change color - when pissed off - and you don’t go out into the sunlight. You’re incredibly fast-” 

“ Don’t even  _ think  _ about finishing that, you  _ menace _ .” Danny only grinned under the hand that was covering his mouth, attempting to lick the hand in order to get it off of him, Andrew sighing. “First of all, do you really think your spit bothers me at this point?” Ah, bright red blush. Balance restored. “Second of all,  _ never again with those jokes _ .” 

“So is it too late to bring in the pointy teeth?” Danny asked, grinning at the ghost’s groan. “I mean, I can attest to their pointiness, at this point- Aha...pun.” Danny snickered to himself, laughing as he was pulled into Andrew’s lap, the ghost mumbling curses in French. 

“You never know when to stop, do you?” 

“One of my charming qualities,” Danny hummed, nuzzling into the ghost’s neck, grinning at the shudder it earned him. “Neck sensitivity, too, huh?” At that he was flipped over and pressed against the ground, looking up in surprise to see Andrew looked equal parts amused, and completely done with him. 

“ I can, in fact, promise that if you keep it up, you  _ will  _ regret it.” Danny noticed his wrists were trapped, keeping him from properly moving. 

“Ooo, kinky~” Danny purred, enjoying the blush on the other’s face far too much. It was a two edged sword that he was blushing just as much, but, what the hell. He probably had less than ten years to live, and his boyfriend was hot. He wasn’t wasting that. “Is that threat a promise?” 

“Depends, would you like it to be one?” 

“ I’d be delighted~” 


	20. Interlude

** Chapter Twenty - Interlude  **

** :: **

“So, Danny, that’s a very nice scarf you’re wearing. On a seventy degree day. With an ice core.” Danny Fenton glared at his best friends, slowly sinking down behind the massive, acid green scarf he was wearing, a left over Christmas present from Jazz. “Have a fun weekend?” 

“Sammy...I hate you.” Going quiet at seeing Valerie walk past them, Danny blinked at her raised eyebrow. 

“ Good time with that tutor  _ friend  _ of yours?” Danny groaned, banging his head into his locker as his friends laughed and, generally, mocked his pain. At least, he saw it as mocking. “Nice to see you’re finally happy, for once.” Danny, in response, stuck his tongue out as best he could. 

By the time gym rolled around, Danny was still wearing his scarf, much to the amusement of the rest of the student body. They were waiting to see which teacher would finally succeed in making the teen remove it. So far, Tetslaff seemed to be closest. “Fenton! Get that ridiculous thing off before you have a heat stroke!” 

“ Uh, Coach, I’d rather not,” Danny coughed, face growing a bright pink as he avoided everyone’s gaze, wishing that he had used his stupid makeup concealer on his neck as well as his electrical burns. “Like, I’d really,  _ really  _ rather not.” At the glare, he was thinking that he didn’t have much of a choice. “Oh, please don’t…” 

“ Scarf. Off.  _ Now _ .” Danny groaned and went back to the locker room to put his scarf up. Tetslaff shook her head and began explaining that day’s lesson, sighing as Danny walked back out with a jacket zipped all the way to the top, hood up as well. “ _ Fenton _ .” 

“Oh, fine,” Danny grumbled, jerking the jacket off and tossing it towards the benches, blushing at the immediate whispers that broke out. “Coach, you’re evil.” 

“I can live with that. Now back in line!” Danny cursed in French under his breath, a new habit from his mate, as he took his place between Sam and Tucker, pulling up his gym shirt collar as far as he could. 

“ Ohholy shit, he certainly left his mark, didn’t he?” Sam snickered, covering her mouth as Danny gave her the most pitiful look she had ever seen. “Just how  _ sharp  _ are his teeth?” 

“I am not talking about this with you,” Danny grumbled, blush increasing at the blatant stares by the rest of the students. “The rumors will be spreading before this class is over. Damn cell phones.” 

“Dude, I think your neck is more bruise than skin,” Tucker snorted, laughing at the glare his friend gave him. “Aw, cheer up, buddy. Look at it this way, there’s no way anything worse than this can happen!” Immediately, a portal opened in the middle of the gym, a panicked Wulf tumbling out, panting heavily as he skidded to a stop. 

“Tucker…” 

“Yeah?” 

“ I hate you.” Seeing Wulf wasn’t ready to leave, and the teens of Amity Park had gotten too lenient around randomly appearing ghosts, Danny groaned and walked up to the massive creature. Might as well give the rumor mill something else to gossip about. Switching to Esperanto, he sighed, “ _ Wulf, buddy, we’ve talked about this. Bothering me at school isn’t- _ ” 

“ _ Ghost hunters, the men who stalk while wearing white! They are returning! I overheard their plans, and they wish to rid this town of our kind! _ ” 

“ _ What?! The Guys-in-White?! _ ”  At the nod, Danny let out a vicious curse in ghostspeak, hands moving to tug at his hair in frustration. “Ugh! Of all the-” In a second he was no longer the unassuming wallflower of Casper High, but instead one who had been raised and trained to deal with ghosts. “ _ Wulf, get to the ghosts immediately, find Kitty and Johnny. Spread the message that no ghost is to be alone in the next few days, I don’t care if they have to use the goddamn buddy system! If they see the Guys-in-White, they need to run, got it? No fighting back until I figure out what they’re planning! _ ” 

“Si, amiko!” Wulf tore open a portal, disappearing inside, as Danny turned back to his astonished classmates, letting out a groan. 

“ Guys, really? I’m from a family of  _ ghost hunters _ . Do you really think I don’t know how to deal with ghosts?” Going back and standing in line, he looked to Tetslaff, who looked to have been inching towards a suspicious metal flask. 

“Oh, just forget it. Free day.” At that, the students let out a cheer, Danny yelping as Sam and Tucker jerked him away towards the edges of the gym, where they would have some form of privacy. 

“ What were you thinking?! Are you  _ trying  _ to get yourself exposed-” 

“Guys-in-White are back,” Danny cut in, nodding at the expressions on the other’s faces. “They’re not going to attack right away, not when they’re still trying to establish a foothold, but...them being back won’t mean good things for Amity Park.” Especially not with all the ghosts being more and more at ease in the human world. 

::

When school finally let out for the day, most of the students milled around the front doors, not willing to leave the warm heat wave they had been getting. As such, they were rather surprised to see the youngest Fenton walk out the door with his friends, and then immediately drop his bag in shock, running towards someone that no one recognized, and almost tackling him to the ground in a large hug. 

“Yo, GW, been a while,” Tucker grinned, catching up the two, Sam grabbing Danny’s backpack from where he had dropped it. “Thought you hated the human world.” 

“Hate is putting it mildly,” Andrew chuckled, rolling his eyes as Danny refused to let go of him. “New scarf, mon cher?” That earned him a jab to his side. 

“Rude,” Danny huffed, blush once again on his face. “What are you doing here, though? Didn’t you get the message about the Guys-in-White?” 

“ That’s actually  _ why  _ I’m here,” Andrew sighed, scratching the back of his head. Sam and Tucker shared an exasperated look. Honestly, Andrew and Danny were getting more and more like each other every day. “I decided to do a little...research. Found out they were going to contact your parents. I figured you would want to avoid that meeting.” 

“Definitely want to avoid that meeting,” Danny nodded, wrapping Andrew up in another hug. “Thanks for coming and warning me. And, you know, since you’re already here, I’m kidnapping you.” 

“Yes, you are now in our evil clutches,” Sam grinned, throwing an arm around Andrew and pulling him along, Danny happily grasping his hand and following after. “And with that, we are going to the Nasty Burger.” 

“Delightful,” Andrew muttered, looking for a way to escape, only to catch sight of Danny’s pitiful look. “That...that is cheating.” The look grew sadder. “...You are a terrible person.” 

“ Mm, true,” Danny grinned, reaching up to give Andrew a quick kiss, knowing the gossip mill would now know  _ why  _ his neck looked like a bruised mess. “You love me, though~” 

“ My greatest woe in this life,” Andrew dramatically sighed, smiling as Danny pulled him along. “You’re very lucky I kept this ridiculous bracelet. I don’t think Casper High could handle the gossip of the town’s ghost hunters son actually  _ dating  _ a ghost.” 

“I am indeed lucky. Especially since your braces are still super adorable.” 

“ Ugh, you two are sickeningly cute,” Sam gagged, grinning at Danny’s rude gesture. “No, no, it’s a good thing. Now  _ he’s _ responsible for your masochistic tendencies.” 

“A task I gladly accept,” Andrew chuckled, Danny once again blushing a bright red and disappearing behind his scarf. Tucker and Sam were saved from changing subjects by Valerie's appearance, who stared at Andrew for a few seconds of silence. 

“So, you’re the mysterious tutor he’s been gushing about for months,” Valerie stated, Andrew shooting a grin to Danny, who was now whining. “I approve.” 

“Vaaaal.” 

“ Just know that if you break his heart,  _ I break you _ .” Andrew nodded, waiting until the girl was out of hearing range to speak. 

“She is quite terrifying.” 

“ And that’s her being  _ nice _ ,” Tucker grinned, pushing them forward. “Now, come on, I hear that delicious triple meat lover special combo platter calling my name!” 

“ And yet  _ Danny  _ is the one half dead.” At once Sam and Tucker were in their daily argument, Danny shaking his head as Andrew let out a chuckle. 

“See, much better than locking yourself away in Vidya all the time, right?” Andrew gave a considering nod, pressing a kiss to the teen’s temple. 

“ As long as I have you with me, mon cher, I don’t think I mind where I end up.” 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : PG-13 scenes of a 'sexual' nature. From now on, this '--' will follow before any scene, and there will be another below that for when the scene ends, if you wish to skip. Fully graphic scenes will never be described in this story, and anything of that nature will only be implied.

** Chapter Twenty One - Core Swap  **

** ::  **

“Danny! Time to get ready for school!” Jazz opened the door to her brother’s room, sighing at seeing he was still in bed, and looking like he wasn’t about to move anytime soon. “This is why you’re always late… I’ll be back in five minutes, and you better be up!” 

Five minutes later and Danny was promptly pushed off his bed. She took the vicious French cursing as a sign of him being awake and coherent. “Yeah, yeah, go take a shower. And wash your mouth out with soap! Honestly, where did you even learn those phrases?!” Shoving the teen through the bathroom door, she headed back to her own room to finish getting ready. When she returned, Danny was clean, at least, and wearing his bathrobe, but curled back up on his bed. “Oh, no you don’t!” 

Dragging the teen off the bed, Danny let out an impressive sigh, “Dear Sister, please, I ask you to let me go. I am not moving unless of ghostly foe.” After a second of silence, Danny yelped as he was dropped to the floor, rubbing his head as he climbed to his feet. “Did you have to release so soon?!” Letting out another sigh, he shook his head, “Ah, how I wish it were already June…” 

Danny raised his eyebrow as his sister quietly left the room, shrugging it off as he gathered his things for the day. He was interrupted a second later by a familiar metal boomerang flying into the side of his head. “Ow! Jasmine! What have I said? Never use that unless I am  _ dead _ !” Rubbing the back of his, now sore, head, Danny shot a glare to his sister, who was picking up the boomerang from the floor. 

“It’s registering your ecto signature, and you seem to be the same, no illusion or hologram… That doesn’t explain the rhyming- I mean, why would an impostor rhyme? And Andrew wouldn’t stick you in another book, and even if he did, that wouldn’t explain why I’m not rhyming.” 

“ Sister the words you said simply do not make sense...you’re starting to make me quite tense.” Glancing up at her brother’s worried expression, Jazz sighed, dragging a hand down her face. She had a feeling this was going to be a  _ long  _ day. “I need to finish preparing for the day, by then I hope we can be on our way.” Disappearing back into the bathroom, Jazz silently wondered what could be going on. 

She was startled out of her thoughts by a ghost appearing beside her, panting for breath. “H-Hi, Jazz. I think- I think we might have a problem.” It took a few seconds for her to realize the ghost in front of her was  _ Ghostwriter _ , and even then, she wasn’t quite certain. “A sort of big problem, actually.” 

“ I...I don’t have words… This day is going to end in disaster. I can see it now.” The ghost wasn’t even wearing his normal clothing, under his trenchcoat and scarf, he was actually wearing what Danny might to work! A pair of beat up black jeans, and a layered black shirt with a silly cartoon ghost colored green. “Andrew, what are you  _ doing  _ here- Did you just call me Jazz?” 

“ Yeah, see that’s  _ part  _ of the problem,” Andrew stressed, distracted by Danny reappearing, Jazz stunned by the outfit he was wearing. It was, well, it looked like something Andrew would wear, normally. Dark gray slacks, a long-sleeved gray shirt, a black skullcap, and his reading glasses. It was as if the two had switched wardrobes. Switched… 

“Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Tell me that whatever is happening is not what I think is happening.” Andrew only shrugged with a guilty look, Danny finally noticing that he was there. 

“Andrew, what are you doing here? Is there a problem near?” 

“Oo, right...that probably isn’t going to help matters,” Andrew hummed, flying over to give Danny a quick kiss. “Nothing at all, mon cher! Just a, well, sort of a mess, really. Come on, I’ll explain downstairs.” Tugging the teen along, he was quick to grab Jazz as well, who looked too broken to realize what was happening. “Right, so, how to explain this… 

“All mates experience this weird thing called a core swap, it’s basically where the two switch personalities and powers,” Andrew hesitantly explained, seating the two down on the couch, and changing into his human illusion in case the Fenton parents appeared. “It’s like- It’s kind of hard to explain, actually. But, I mean, that’s the simplest part of it. It’s so mates can better understand each other, walk a mile in each other’s shoes, and all that.” 

“Hearing you talk like this...is so weird,” Jazz marveled, shrugging at the flat look she was given. “Okay, so why doesn’t Danny realize there’s anything wrong? And why the rhyming?” 

“I don’t know,” Andrew shrugged, scratching the back of his head nervously. “I mean, mates don’t really notice the switch until the day is over, or find anything weird about it. I wouldn’t have even realized it without Clockwork showing up and telling me. As for the rhyming...not really sure on that one.” 

“ Well, my mate  _ does  _ have the power to shape reality,” Danny put in, arms and legs crossed as he thought over what he had been told. “Rhyming must be a stabilizer for my morality.” 

“ Yeah, sure, what he said. I mean, the switch wasn’t even supposed to happen yet. Those things usually don’t happen until the ghost mates are  _ properly  _ bonded, but, I guess, you know, ancient ghosts laws never took  _ half ghosts  _ into consideration.” 

“ So, this is basically happening because you and my little brother admitted you had feelings for each other?” At the nod, Jazz let out a sigh. “Alright, one day, right? We can handle that… Oh, I almost forgot!” Standing up, Jazz walked over to Andrew, smiling warmly and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad Danny has someone to confide in, and keep him on track. Just know that if you ever do anything to hurt him, though, I will tear out your core and then forcibly turn you into ectoplasmic goo after ripping you apart  _ molecule by molecule _ . Is that clear?” 

“C-Crystal,” Andrew nervously laughed, escaping to hide behind Danny, who looked more amused than anything. 

“Good,” Jazz smiled, shouldering her own bag. “Now, you follow Danny today, keep an eye on him. Lancer already knows you’re his tutor, so just say you’re with him for a study project or something. Clever a writer as you are, I’m sure you’ll think of something.” At the curious look, Jazz rolled her eyes. “Your books are practically banned in this household, with how much Danny discusses them.” 

Danny, on his part, shot back a rude phrase in French, which, amazingly enough, even rhymed. 

::

“It’s official. I am going to record today forever on my PDA glasses, and play it back for you two tomorrow. I don’t even care if you kill me for it. I will have no regrets.” Sam shook her head, looking at the two boys that had joined them on their way to school. 

“Switched personalities, huh…” Glancing to Danny, who raised an eyebrow at her, she gave a wicked smile. “No shirts with a high enough collar, Danny?” At the bright red blush, she gave a wider grin. “Not so different, I think.” 

“Isn’t that kind of cruel?” Andrew half asked, smiling as Danny used him as a human shield. “I mean, I know that’s your thing and all. But still. Cruel.” 

“ Part of my unique and charming nature,” Sam smiled demurely, punching Tucker without looking as he laughed. She didn’t need to look to know her hit had been dead on. “That charming nature also includes never missing.  _ Ever _ .” 

“Well. That’s more than vaguely terrifying,” Andrew snorted, suddenly shivering at the feeling of ghosts being near. Right, switched powers. And...there was the sound of a motorcycle. “Nooo. Not you two.” 

“Yo. And what are you all doing this fine morning?” 

“Walking to school,” Tucker gestured grandly, Kitty laughing as Johnny smirked. “Also, these two are in the middle of a mate core swap thing.” He should have seen the hit from Danny coming, now that he thought about it. 

“Ohho, really?” Johnny grinned, shooting a look to Andrew, who merely flipped him off. “Now, now. Save that for you mate, GW!” 

“Ooh, the temptation to destroy you is overwhelming,” Andrew growled, the hand in his the only thing keeping him grounded. “Is there a reason you’re here? Or were you leaving?” 

“Ouch, could really feel the burn on that one,” Johnny complained, Danny shaking his head in amusement. “Relax, we come bearing news of the decidedly fun kind.” 

“Remember that time you insulted Ember’s hair color?” Kitty asked Danny, who slowly smiled. “Yeah, I’ll take that as a yes. Well, she complained to Skulker. A lot. He’s ready to skin you just to get some peace and quiet. He won’t attack during school, but, you know, you’re not in school right now, are you?” 

“If I were you, I’d just ditch and hide in the park,” Johnny laughed, revving the motorcycle again. “Later, lil cuz!” It was a few seconds of silence before Danny let out a sigh. 

“Skulker and his theatrics is not something I want to deal with right now,” he grumbled, blinking in surprise as he noticed the lack of rhyming. “Huh, the powers must have finally settled down. I can be grateful for that, at least.” 

“Ah, whelp!” 

“Whoop, there it is,” Tucker muttered, shrugging at the look Sam gave him. “I have to get my joy in life from somewhere.” Danny only shook his head, noticing that Skulker looked at his wit’s end. 

“ Today is the day I skin you! If only to get that woman to  _ shut up _ .” 

“I feel your pain, brother!” Tucker called, grinning as Sam smacked him in the back of the head. “What? Isn’t empathy a good thing?” 

“Not for the gun-toting maniac with an ego complex,” Sam snapped, giving each boy a push to get them moving again. “Now come on, I’m not going to be late for school because of Captain Cranium and his need to heighten his masculinity by constantly chasing after a prey that showed himself incapable of being caught after the first two months.” 

“Now, that was just cold,” Skulker pouted, Danny grinning in delight. “Get ready, whelp! Today, your pelt-” 

“ Yeah, yeah,” Andrew interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Blah, blah, blah, Ghost Zone’s greatest hunter, and all of that. Really? I hardly ever seen you and even  _ I  _ know your lines by memory.” At the bewildered look he was given, Andrew sighed and dropped his illusion, Skulker looking like he wasn’t sure whether to laugh, or be pissed. 

“You...and he… Core swap?” 

“ Gee, the tin can can  _ think _ . Isn’t that a new one?” Andrew snickered, Sam only sighing and scrubbing her hand down her face. 

“ Yup. There’s the terrible sense of humor.” She was given a betrayed look from Danny, that she quickly returned with a glare. “Tell me I’m wrong. Go on and  _ try _ .” Ready to bite back, Danny paused at the rocket that was heading for him, saved from ducking out of the way by a purple shield. “Whoop. There’s the hero complex.” 

“ I never had a hero  _ complex _ , thank you very much,” Danny sniffed, blinking as his arms were suddenly full of Andrew’s coat and scarf. 

“Alright, you tin can, let’s see you try facing me,” Andrew grinned sharply, cracking his fingers as he telekinetically summoned a few knives out of his coat pocket, wicked sharp things that were curved and deadly. “Haven’t been in battle in a while, so this is gonna be fun!” 

Seeing the over dramatic gesture to his mate from Sam, Danny shrugged, “It’s more of an inclination to protect those I care for, nothing so bad as a  _ complex _ .” Tucker, on his part, was only silently recording the scene. 

“So, hey, the Ghostwriter can fight, right?” Tucker asked nervously, Danny giving a shrug. “Wonderful.” 

“It’s not as if we fight often,” Danny muttered. “Of the fights we did partake in, one ended with changed reality, and another with him sulking, and me in a tundra for near thirty hours.” Seeing the look, Danny gave another shrug. “We are remarkably dramatic people. He seems to know his way in and out of fights, judging by what he’s taught me, however.” 

“ Stay out of my  _ hunt _ , ‘Writer!” Skulker snapped, pulling out a large gun, Andrew snorting at the sight and heading into the air. “This is none of your business!” 

“Considering you’re taking out misplaced aggression on my mate? Yeah, sort of my business,” Andrew huffed, tossing and catching one of his wicked sharp knives. “Didn’t think I’d be using these again so soon!” 

“Having weapons, and knowing how to use them, are entirely different things,” Skulker snorted, eyes widening in surprise at the sudden tear in his arm, exposing sparking wires. Looking back to Andrew, who looked to have not even moved, he narrowed his eyes. 

“Hm, been a while. Guess my aim’s a little off,” Andrew pouted, dodging the gun that was fired his way and tossing another knife, severing one of the hands holding the gun. “Cute, you use guns! My brother uses those- Of course, he never could beat me.” 

In a flash, three more knives were launched, Skulker’s body missing a leg, an arm, and his head. Touching back down on the ground, Andrew brushed himself off, slipping his knives back into the pocket of his jeans as he resumed his human illusion. “Wow, yeah, that was  _ really  _ challenging.” 

“ You  _ sure  _ writing is what he did for a living?” Sam asked, Danny only staring at his boyfriend with a dull blush. “Oo, that’s adorable. You’re all flustered because he saved you like a knight in shining glasses-” She chuckled as she dodged the jab. “I only speak the truth, Danny dearest~” 

“You are a cruel creature, Sammy,” Danny huffed, tugging on his mate’s coat and scarf, blushing as Andrew gave him a raised eyebrow. “I would have stolen them sooner if I could. Don’t act so surprised.” 

“Come on, I’m not ruining what little of an attendance record I have because this core swap mess made me late,” Sam huffed, dragging a complaining Tucker behind her as Danny and Andrew quickly followed. It was a few moments before Andrew gave Danny a curious look, seeing the question on the younger’s face. 

“Nothing, just...there’s still a lot I don’t know about you…” Feeling his hand grabbed and held gently, he looked over to Andrew, who gave him a small smile. 

“I think you know more about me than most people ever have. Is that good enough, for now?” Danny blinked at the question, slowly smiling as he nodded. 

“For now.” 

::

“ And I’m telling you,  _ sir _ , Romeo and Juliet should not have as much fame as it has garnered! It has poor literary content, even with the promising theme of our generation being the ones to control the future! In fact, all of Shakespeare's plays are ridiculous! Women were treated as one-off plot devices to further the main character’s - the  _ male’s  _ \- story arc, and were never seen again! Plot holes were rife, and these were meant to be used as after labor specials - like daytime television! How they survived to this  _ notoriety  _ I am still trying to figure out!” 

“This is glorious,” Sam grinned, her and the rest of the second hour English class watching Danny Fenton, of all people, argue with Mr. Lancer over the syllabus and Shakespeare. Sam didn’t miss the fact that Andrew looked as enamored as Danny had that morning. “Well, you look proud.” 

“So very proud,” Andrew snickered, eyes glowing with vindicated light. It was about time someone showed that terrible teacher the facts, although he hoped Danny didn’t get into trouble for it. 

“ Mr. Fenton,” Lancer growled out, doing his best to stay calm. “While I’m glad you’ve taken an interest in my class,  _ finally _ , I must ask that you  _ sit down _ .” 

“I think not,” Danny frowned, pushing his glasses up and crossing his arms. The coat he was wearing, the class was amused to note, was far too big on him, making him look even smaller than he already was. “While on the subject, even your syllabus needs work! Half of the books on that list will serve no purpose to us, academically or mentally! We should be reading books meant to be discussed in a college setting, not something meant to be read during one’s free time!” 

“Name one book-” 

“ For starters,  _ half of the list _ ! Most of these are young adult novels, and while there is nothing wrong with that, they serve no purpose for us in a class of study! What we’ve been forced to read has done nothing but add to our already heavy burden as students - and let’s not forget the  _ tests  _ you give us are often from  _ other  _ plays and books, and not the ones that were just discussed!” 

“Are you recording this?” Sam quietly asked Tucker, who was keeping his PDA glasses steady as he gave a thumbs up. “Good, I want this posted everywhere within the hour. Spread it like a virus.” 

“On it.” 

“ And don’t even get me started on the  _ classic  _ novels we’ve been forced to read! Some of them serve little to no purpose and were written by bigoted bigheads who had egos larger than their fanbase! The ideals and terms are not only out-of-date for the modern world, but were never taken seriously to begin with!” 

::

“ On the bright side, it could have always been worse,” Tucker reassured his friend, trying to hide his smile. “I mean, a week’s detention isn’t  _ too  _ bad, right? Plus, you seemed to have won the hand of your knight in shining glasses.” 

“That’s just going to stick, isn’t it?” Andrew asked, giving a sigh at the dual smirks of Danny’s friends. “Yeah, I had a feeling it would.” He didn’t bother to move from where he was pressed against Danny’s side, who was using him as more of a pillow than anything. “You were very good with how you tore him down, though.” 

“I learned from the best,” Danny hummed, pressing a quick kiss to the other’s cheek, smiling at the light blush it earned him. Maybe core swaps weren’t so bad, after all. “Besides, he should be open to more criticism, maybe then his teaching wouldn’t be second rate.” 

“Yeah, well, hopefully you don’t see your parents today,” Sam sighed, stabbing her salad to death. “I think they’ll notice just how strange you’re acting.” 

“Hardly,” Danny scoffed, stabbing his own fork into something that looked like meat, and probably wasn’t. “I could walk past them with a broken leg and bleeding arm and they wouldn’t take notice.” At the looks he was given, he shrugged, avoiding their gazes. “Hardly like it’s untrue...it’s happened three times.” 

“Uh, GW, dude, your eyes just turned red,” Tucker pointed out, suddenly wondering if Andrew still had his knives on him. 

“ Oh, really? My bad, I was just thinking about how I would like  _ to skin those miserable bags of flesh until they’re  _ _** nothing ** _ .” 

“ _ You’re speaking in ghost, mon ange. _ ”  Andrew huffed, pausing a second later and giving the teen a confused look. “What?” 

“Did you just translate French into ghostspeak?” At the question, Danny paused, slowly nodding his head. “Weird.”

“I’m quite inclined to agree-” The rest of the teen’s words were cut off as he winced, and then quickly shuddered. Seeing his neck and hair were coated in, what looked to be, mashed potatoes, it was understandable as to why. 

“Ugh, Dash,” Sam groaned, throwing some napkins over to Danny, who quickly went to wiping up as much of the muck as he could. “One of these days, he’s going to get what’s coming to him.” 

“I think that day is now,” Tucker coughed, pointing to where Andrew had gotten up and walked over to the jock, hand reaching into his pocket. Danny was up a second later, scowl on his face as he yelled in French. 

“ _ Andrew Riter, don’t you  _ _** dare  ** _ _ bring out those knives! And especially not to use on  _ _** humans ** _ _ ! I don’t care if you use them on ghosts, but- Are you even listening to me?! _ ”  He got an innocent shrug for his trouble. “ _ I swear if you bring out those knives for one second, I  _ _** will  ** _ _ make you regret it! _ ” 

“ _ Oo, kinky~ _ ”  Andrew grinned wickedly, laughing as Danny was immediately chasing after him, Andrew effortlessly dodging the attacks and weaving around the cafeteria, most of the students now starring in amusement. “Like I said, mon cher, you need to work on your fighting!” 

“ They’re going to end up in jail,” Sam groaned, rubbing at her eyelids. “And then  _ I’m  _ going to have to be the one to bail them out… Actually, at this rate, I may not even bother to bail them out.” 

The ghost fight, strange as it had become, was interrupted by Dash  _ accidentally  _ tripping Danny as he ran past. From their table, Sam groaned, and Tucker laughed. 

The food fight that happened next went down into Casper High legend. 

::

“ I still don’t see how they can give me detention when I don’t even  _ go  _ to that school,” Andrew grumbled, carrying Danny’s backpack for him as they waited on the school steps for Sam and Tucker to appear. “I mean, can they even do that?” 

“You’re lucky they didn’t call the police,” Danny snorted, glaring at Andrew for a few moments before sighing and leaning into his side. “Still, it was very sweet of you to protect me like that.” 

“ Blame your hero complex,” Andrew huffed, grinning at the jab to his side. “Deny it all you want, mon cher, but you  _ do  _ indeed have one.” Letting out a shiver, he stuck his tongue out. “I believe the powerful ghost lurking about is for you.”  

“ Powerful?” Danny questioned, groaning as he saw the ghost a second later. “Ugh,  _ Plasmius _ . Just when I thought I was free from his insanity… I’ll be right back.” Giving the ghost a quick kiss, he disappeared around the corner, Danny Phantom appearing a few seconds later. With the added addition of a gray scarf and a forest green coat. 

“ Welp, that’s new,” Andrew muttered, still wondering how the inverted colors actually  _ worked _ . It just didn’t make sense, no matter how you looked at it. 

“Ah, just who I was looking for.” Vlad raised an eyebrow at Danny’s appearance, not sure whether to be amused or not. “New coat and hair style?” At the unimpressed look he was given, he rolled his eyes. “Oh, now, now, I’m just here because I wanted to talk to you about some...rumors, I’ve been hearing.” 

“Don’t you know to ignore the rumor mill by now, Plasmius?” Danny asked, floating in the air with his arms and legs crossed, like he was sitting down, with an amused expression. “They’ll give you nothing but trouble.” 

“Quite,” Vlad muttered, suspicions already confirmed. “You’ve done quite a remarkable job with the truce, dear boy. To think, it only took two years of you pointlessly pounding their skulls in before you learned how to use them.” At the words, Danny’s eyes narrowed, not noticing the sound of a motorcycle pulling up to Casper High, where students were now taking interest in the two ghosts floating above them. 

“ Unlike you,  _ Vlad _ , I don’t  _ use  _ ghosts to meet my my own ends. They are my  _ friends _ , and quite dear to me. I would ask you to respect that, but I have no doubt you won’t.” 

“ Two years and I have yet to get you to understand how you and I are  _ above  _ them,” Vlad sighed, sounding like a parent who failed their child. “Perhaps I left you to your own devices too long. Seeing you enter the Ghost Zone  _ daily  _ certainly didn’t help matters.” 

“I was visiting my mate,” Danny huffed, smiling at the stunned look on Vlad’s face. “I think it’s time you left, Vlad…” 

“And you believe you can tell me what to do? Dear boy, I don’t think you quite understand how this game of ours works…” 

“ Then it’s a rather good thing that I’m not  _ playing _ ,” Danny growled, eyes flashing red as his hands glowed with purple energy. “Your life is of no concern to me, Plasmius, but know that Amity Park is  _ mine _ , and I  _ will  _ protect it. Ghosts and humans alike.” Seeing the other’s eyes narrow, Danny flicked his fingers, summoning a piece of parchment and a quill. “I may not be as good a poet as my mate, but I’m sure I can come up with something…  _ A determined and bitter ghost with a closely-kept secret, his attempts at converting another were quite frequent! _

“ _ Ah, but this ghost had yet to learn what he needed to know, and now with his welcome overstayed, it was time to go. Of course he needed an escort or two, just a creepy creature, or maybe a few! They had one task and one task only, and that was to chase the ghost that was oh so lonely. _ ”  Content at the shadowy eldritch creatures that were now chasing Vlad, Danny glanced down at the ground, sighing at seeing Kitty and Johnny were grinning like idiots. 

So much for his words about protecting the ghosts going unheard. 

::

Danny Fenton blearily blinked his eyes open, finally registering that he was in his bed, a human Ghostwriter sleeping beside him. It took a few seconds of confusion until he remember  _ everything _ , whine leaving his lips before he could stop it. 

“My head is killing me,” Andrew grumbled, not bothering to even open his eyes. “Just...let’s pretend we don’t have to get up and face everything.” 

“I kind of sort of like that plan,” Danny groaned, pulling a pillow over his head before scrambling out of bed, reaching for his phone. “Don’t move. I need to take a picture of you in jeans.” 

“Jeans- What...what am I wearing…” Andrew asked in horror, glaring at Danny as he heard the camera go off. “Really, mon cher?” 

“I’m sorry, but teenage human you with braces and in jeans is hot as hell, and that is something I must remember forever.” 

“Yes, I seem to remember you saying something about my jeans last night,” Andrew grinned wickedly, happy to see Danny’s bright red blush. “Ah, balance is restored yet again.” He had a pillow thrown at his head for his troubles. 

“ You little- Oh...oh no...I fought with Lancer...over the syllabus...in front of  _ everyone _ . Oh god I trapped Vlad in a  _ poem _ .” At the startled laugh, Danny gave another whine, not fighting the grip that pulled him back to bed. “I’m doomed. I’m so doomed. No one is ever going to let me forget this.” 

“Probably not,” Andrew mused, pressing a gentle kiss to Danny’s forehead. “And why are you still wearing my scarf?” 

“Yeah, you’re probably not going to get this back,” Danny grinned, happy that the scarf had stayed on even as he slept. “Like, ever. This is your fault, anyways. You and your braces. I’m keeping the scarf.” 

“How is this my fault?” Andrew asked curiously, grinning as the scarf was lowered to show the still healing bruises on the younger’s neck, which was impressive, since the teen had speed healing. “Ah, yes, my memory has returned with clarity.” 

“Yeah, I bet,” Danny snorted, blinking at hearing his phone start ringing, which was still in his hand. “Hello?” Andrew counted it as two seconds before Danny was hanging it up, slowly turning his phone off and setting it under the pillow. “I vote we never speak of this again.” 

“And to think the day is yet to begin.” Andrew laughed at the other’s expression, even as he was shoved off the bed and into the floor. “Désolé, mon cher, but I couldn’t resist.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Danny huffed, letting out a sigh as he rubbed his head. He had a feeling the headaches they had were from where their original powers were settling back in. “Ugh, I never want reality shifting powers again, I felt like I had too much energy, and nothing to do with it.” 

“It’s surprisingly easy to manage,” Andrew hummed, not bothering to move from his position on the floor. “Ice powers, however...it was a battle to not shiver every five seconds.” 

“You should have seen the mess that happened when I first got those powers,” Danny laughed, tugging Andrew back into the bed and pressing a kiss to his lips. “And now I am wide awake, and very bored.” 

“Yes, well, while you stay bored, I’m going to attempt to get more sleep. Yesterday is nowhere near as far away as I would like it to be.” Hearing blessed silence, and knowing it was too good to be true, Andrew groaned as Danny promptly sat down on top of him, hands balanced on his chest. “Why are you torturing me?” 

“ It’s not torture,” Danny huffed, “Besides, instead of sleeping, we could do something more...fun.” This halfa was going to be the cause of his second death. He could  _ feel  _ it. “I mean, we  _ are  _ already in bed…” He found he didn’t much mind that approaching death. “It would be a shame to waste that opportunity.” 

\--

“Mm, there is one thing wrong about this, however.” At Danny’s confused look, Andrew grinned, and effortlessly switched their positions, grinning at the teen’s startled look at seeing he was pinned down to the bed. “There...much better. It’s always nice when I’m able to see each and every wonderful expression you make, mon cher fantôme.” 

“O-Oh? H-heh, that, um, is good, I think,” Danny nervously laughed, biting his lip at the sweet kiss placed to the underside of his jaw, followed by a hand that was slipping under his shirt. Shivering at the feeling, he blushed brightly, small moan escaping him at the kisses that he felt trailing from his jaw to his neck. Feeling his mate stop, Danny blushed brighter, making a small whimpering noise, voice quiet and subdued, “Please don’t stop…” 

Sighing in relief at the hard and demanding kiss he was pulled into, he let a small whine slip as they parted, soon quieted by the featherlight kisses that were peppered to his cheeks. “I was right, you know. It really is nice to see you beg.” Danny blushed harder, thinking he may have just gotten in over his head, although he couldn’t be bothered to care. “Beg for me more, mon cher?” 

Face a bright red, Danny squeezed his eyes shut, feeling Andrew press a soft kiss to his forehead, touches stopping. Letting out a frustrated whine, Danny cracked his eyes open, blush growing worse. “A-Andrew... _ please  _ don’t stop.” Hands resting on the back of his mate’s neck, Danny tugged him down, giving him a soft kiss. “Please? Keep touching me?”

Squirming at the sudden and sharp sting of nails scraping down his side, Danny let out another soft moan, Andrew grinning at the noise and giving him another hard kiss, “Masochistic, indeed, hm?” Seeing the embarrassed frown, Andrew quickly and gently kissed it away, nails once again digging into the human’s skin, Danny moaning into the kiss. “Don’t be embarrassed, mon cher, there’s no reason for you to be.” 

Danny shivered at Andrew’s low chuckle, another kiss pressed to the side of his head, “You don’t have to worry about a thing, my sweet, I’ll take good care of you…” 


	22. One More Lie

** Chapter Twenty Two - One More Lie **

** ::  **

“You know, I’m really starting to hate hair dye…” Danny grumbled, hissing as more dye went onto his head. “What the hell?! Are you using more bleach?!” 

“No, I’m not,” Sam laughed, working the dye down to the roots, ridding the teen of the traces of previous hair colors he had been through. “You’ve dyed your hair so much recently, I had to use this really strong kind. Packs all the power of bleach, but leaves your hair as dark as the night!” 

“ You know, I fight ghosts as a career, and that  _ never  _ could have prepared me for this. I get thrown into walls, blasted with searing energy, bleed daily, and have had more broken bones than most people will ever have. How is your stupid hair dye worse than  _ two years of trauma _ ?!” 

“ It’s  _ really _ good stuff,” Sam snickered, pouring more dye on and patting the teen’s head as he whined. “Oh, calm down and tough it out. If ‘little ole me’ was able to do this all the time, then a big strong half ghost like yourself can handle this pain no problem!” 

“ How the  _ hell  _ did you use this stuff all the time?” Danny winced, sitting on his hands to keep from freezing his head to stop the burning. “Purple hair for a year, a box every two weeks- Jesus, are you sure  _ you’re  _ not the one with super mutant DNA powers, or something?” 

“ Well, I mean, if we’re counting my super power of being totally awesome and better than you,” Sam hummed, laughing at the kick aimed to her shins. “I just got used to it. Not so bad once you’ve fought ghosts and  _ won _ .” 

“Yeah, yeah, how long do I have to keep this gunk on my head?” 

“Relax, this stuff stays on for about forty-five minutes, we wash it out, and then you can go and get sympathy cuddles from your boyfriend,” Sam explained, using the last of the dye. “Soon your hair will be back to it’s ‘raven black’ color, or whatever the hell you call it.” 

“ ...It’s ink black,” Danny mumbled, shrugging at the look he was given. “I mean, if you’re going to mock it in a pretentious manner,  _ at least  _ mock it right.” 

“You are ridiculous,” Sam laughed, pulling the gloves off and tossing the hair dye bottle towards a nearby trash can, falling into Danny’s desk chair as he stayed seated on his bed. “So, that searing pain will go away in about, oh, fifteen minutes? So, we need a topic to distract you!” 

“ You know, this is starting to sound  _ really  _ familiar,” Danny sighed, small smile on his face as he thought back to Tucker’s attempts to help him fix his hair. “Deja vu-ish, really.” Seeing the unfaltering look, the teen gave as dramatic a sigh as he could manage. “Alright, ask your questions! I promise no answers, though!” 

“I can work with that. First question, how long are you going to keep that scarf?” Even as he had his hair dyed, Danny had only tied the scarf around his waist, refusing to let it go completely. “I mean, wearing your boyfriend’s clothing is cute and all, but his scarf? Really?” 

“I am never getting rid of this scarf. I have just now decided this. It is going with me to the grave and beyond- You know, if I make it that far.” 

“ That’s another thing!” Sam huffed, kicking her leg out and rolling over until she was next to the bed. “You’re getting  _ too  _ dramatic lately. Like, not even your normal theatrics, more like you’re expecting your death any day now.” Oo, how did he answer that one without admitting she might be right. 

“Well, I’m already half there,” Danny shrugged nonchalantly, looking at ease as best he could. “It’s to be expected I’m a little wary about losing the other half.” 

“Hm… Alright, I believe you...for now. Speaking of dead things, how’s your relationship with your new bf going. I assume well, considering you neck looks like it’s been torn to shreds by a shark, plus there are probably a few more bites that your shirt is covering up.” 

“ He has  _ very  _ sharp teeth,” Danny grinned, at the point where he had no ounce of shame about admitting it. Besides, this was  _ Sam _ , the one who  _ encouraged  _ these talks. “He’s also  _ very  _ skillful with them.” 

“Considering how you’ve been walking around like you’re on cloud nine? Yeah, I bet he is,” Sam snorted, kicking off and rolling back to the desk, grabbing a magazine as she passed. “So, any run ins with Valerie as Phantom? She seems a little less psychotic than usual.” 

“A few, and when we do meet it’s just normal banter and then going on our ways,” Danny shrugged, smile on his face. “I think she’s really starting to give the ghosts a chance, especially after Elle talked to her! Although now that we don’t have to worry about Val, the Guys-in-White show up…” 

“Uugghh. They take the fun out of everything,” Sam groaned, throwing the magazine back on the desk and absently spinning around in circles. “Any idea what they want, yet? I mean, we know they’re ghost crazy, almost as much as your parents, but it’s almost like they disappeared.” 

“Nope, still here,” Danny sighed. “Wulf and a few of the others are keeping an eye on them. There’s not many of them, but they’re bringing in a lot of equipment. Plus they’ve been in regular contact with my parents.” 

“ That won’t end well,” Sam pointed out, picking up speed in the rolling chair when it came to her spins. “Any idea what they’re  _ actually  _ trying to do?” 

“None. It’s really starting-” Sam spun straight out of the chair, crashing into the floor as Danny kept talking, looking unbothered. “-to annoy me, too. I mean, how can I stop them if I don’t know what they’re up to?!” Throwing his hands up in aggravation, he quickly rubbed at his eyes. “I don’t know, I just feel like I’m missing something really obvious.” 

“ This coming from the guy who didn’t know I had a crush on him for  _ years _ ,” Sam muttered, dizzily picking herself up and crawling back into the chair. “I mean, you’re not the most observant when it comes to social cues.” 

“Fighting? I can handle that. Social interaction? Yeah, not really my strong point.” Going silent for a few moments, he finally shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe I just need to get a closer look at the place? Maybe I can find something that the other ghosts won’t recognize as important.” 

“ _ Or _ you can wait until you start feeling better to go mystery sleuthing.” At the confused look she was given, Sam rolled her eyes. “Please, Tucker and I aren’t clueless like you. You’ve been looking weak for  _ days _ , and last time you went flying as Phantom, you almost fell out of the air.  _ Twice _ .” 

“Oh, aha, yeah. Guess I have been feeling a little under the weather,” Danny chuckled, resisting the urge to scratch the back of his head. It was harder than he would have thought. “Is it time to wash this gunk off yet?” 

“Depends, do you want another weird hair color?” At the shake, Sam gave a smile. “Then no, it’s not time to wash the gunk off yet.” Stretching leisurely, she spun around in the chair again. “So, Danny dearest…” Tensing himself at the sweet tone, Danny hesitantly tilted his head. “What are you hiding.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Hiding? What are you talking about?” Sam gave a hard stare the genuine confusion she saw, finally letting out a snort. 

“Nice try, you little hellion, but that trick hasn’t worked since we turned ten.” Danny’s expression fell in an instant, replaced with a pouting look. “Spill, what have you been hiding? It has to be serious, considering how twitchy you’ve been.” 

“Is it too late to sink this subject- Or better yet, throw it into a tar pit for all of eternity.” Seeing the look, he let out a worn and ragged sigh. “No, I thought not… It’s...hard to explain, Sammy.” 

“ Does it have anything to do with why your health files are all gone from the Fenton Works database?” Bingo. “Is there a  _ reason  _ you deleted those very important health records that let us know how healthy or sick you are?” 

“Not...particularly. Can we change subjects, please?” 

“Okay.” Not believing it could be that easy, Danny looked around for a possible attack. “Let’s talk about the fact you look at Ghostwriter like he’s about to disappear when you think no one’s looking.” At the guilty look, Sam nodded. “Yeah, I noticed that. Any reason you’re trying to destroy your happily ever after-” 

“ Because it’s  _ not  _ a happily ever after,” Danny muttered, scrubbing at his eyes, teeth almost tearing into his lip in frustration. “He’s a  _ ghost _ , and a part of me is still living...for now.” Judging by his friend’s look, the mumbled words hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Sammy, he’s my mate- Someone who I didn’t know I was missing until I  _ met  _ him. He’s also a  _ ghost _ . Forever young, and never aging. Meanwhile, I’m…” 

“Yeah, I know, human. So what, you still have about sixty or so years until you have to worry about all of that. Maybe forty, considering your hero complex.” Hearing no comeback to her jab at his complex, she started growing worried. “Danny?” 

“Would...it be too much to ask for a different beginning, I wonder…” Danny humorlessly chuckled, tired eyes staring at the scarf ends he gently tugged at. “That we were two average humans who ran into each other around town...or I was a ghost who stumbled upon the library when lost. Anything...but this…” Flashing numbers, counting lower and lower. “Anything, but…” 

Standing up, Danny headed to the bathroom, startling Sam as the door closed before she could follow him. She heard the sink start up, and figured he was washing the hair dye residue out. A glance to the clock showed that forty five minutes exactly had passed. 

“You’re not exactly helping my stress levels, you know!” she called, slumping back in the chair, waiting until the door opened again. She was happy to note that his hair was back to it’s black color, although Danny hadn’t even seemed to notice. “What? No smile at getting your pretentious raven black hair back?”

“...Call Tucker. He has backups for my health files.” Sam raised an eyebrow at the order, frowning as two white rings wrapped around the teen, changing him into his ghost half, which once again had snow white hair, as well as the added addition of a gray scarf around his neck. “You can figure it out from there.” 

“Danny-” Sam sighed as her friend was gone, probably already flying into the portal. Pulling her phone out, and feeling more concerned by the second, she dialed Tucker. “Hey, Tuck? Yeah, listen, cut the game marathon short. Something’s wrong with Danny, and I think it’s in those med files of his. Still have the backups?” 

::

Danny hovered a few hundred feet away from Vidya, sighing as he ran over his and Sam’s conversation. “Mates, huh…” He wondered what it must be like, to find the person you were destined for, the person who you  _ chose  _ as much as they were chosen for you. And then to lose them, and never see them again...to be a ghost, who never aged, and was near immortal. To be alone again...for two...three...four...hundreds of years. “Happily ever after, huh…

“What a joke.” 

Flying to the library, Danny gave as best a smile as he could at Vidya’s welcoming notes, doors opening for him at once. Flying inside, and dropping out of the air, he was quick to catch himself and change back to human. Letting out a breath, he looked around, Vidya tugging him towards the upper levels. Groaning, he instead chose to collapse on a couch, burying himself into the mess of pillows and blankets that were left on top. 

“Danny? I thought you weren’t coming over until tomorrow?” Not getting a response, Andrew frowned and gently tugged on a lock of Danny’s hair, surprised when he saw the teen flinch. “...Danny?” 

“Can I stay here tonight?” At the gentle fingers cupping his cheek, Danny turned his gaze to his mate, who gave him a concerned look. “I just...don’t want to leave right now. Please?” 

“You’re always welcome here, mon cher. That’s something that will never change.” Danny nodded, closing his eyes again and letting out a sigh. “Is there anything you wish to talk about?” 

“...No. There isn’t.” Just...just for a while longer. Just for one more night. Just one more night where he could sit with Andrew, and he could pretend that he had the rest of his life to spend with his mate, and the one after that. That things were happy and good, and nothing else could go wrong. That everything would end...happily. 

Just one more night, he would let himself believe that lie. 


	23. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : character death implied in the past through fire

** Chapter Twenty Three - Curiosity Killed the Cat  **

** ::  **

When Danny Fenton opened his eyes, he expected to be sleeping in his mate’s bed, not...on the floor. The carpet didn’t even look that good. It was  _ hideous _ , like the patterns on his dad’s ‘civilian clothes’. Shaking his head, he pushed himself up, groaning at the stab of pain that shot through his head. 

“ Great. Cause headaches are  _ always  _ fun.” Sighing, he stood up and brushed himself off, mentally asking Vidya where he was. When he didn’t get a reply, he tried again, frowning at the distinct silence. “Come on, Vidya, I’m  _ exhausted _ . Can’t you and your owner torment me tomorrow?” Nothing, and wasn’t that just kicking his worry up a few notches.

“ Okay, right. Either Vidya’s been silenced...or I’m not in the library.” Glancing back down at the carpet, a shade that his mate, or Vidya, would  _ never  _ allow, he let out a groan. “Aw man, who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to kidnap the mate of a ghost who can  _ change reality _ .” 

He was still in a library, at least, from what he could tell. Rows of bookcases, hideous carpet, and dead silence. Seemed enough evidence to him. “Who would kidnap me and then dump me in another library…” Nervously tugging at the scarf around his neck, he headed to the end of the row, cautiously looking for anyone who was around - ghost or human. 

“ Seems empty enough…” Seeing an information desk, that looked abandoned for the night, he quickly headed over, looking for information as to where he could be. “Mm, clock, okay, almost midnight...greaaat. Because fun things  _ always  _ happen at midnight.” Seeing a computer, he quickly booted it up, shuddering at the ancient startup and look. It was like something out of the  _ eighties _ . 

When it finally loaded, and he managed to find the time and date, he felt genuine joy that Tucker wasn’t with him. He would have burned the thing after two minutes. “Okay, okay, let’s see here. It’s...almost the midnight...of my birthday.” Quietly pulling his hand away from the mouse, he glanced around the room, looking for someone ready to attack. “Right. Because it obviously makes sense...that my birthday is in fifteen or so minutes...when last night it was a week away…” 

There were two explanations. Explanation one, he had been kidnapped and left unconsciousness for a week, and then abandoned in a library. Explanation two, which somehow made more sense, he was dealing with time travel. Another look to the date showed that it was 1983. “1983...riiight. Time travel it is.” Explained the ancient computer and hideous carpet, at least. Although not how he ended  _ up  _ in this year. 

Clockwork wouldn’t send him to the past without warning him first, and a time portal wouldn’t randomly show up in Andrew’s lair, at least, he didn’t think so… “Maybe the Observants are getting me back for the skin dye thing… Nah, they ‘never act’.” However he ended up there, he supposed it was up to him to find a way back. “First off, let’s find out where I’m at…” 

It was the 80s...so maybe if he was close to his parent’s old college, he could find his way to the proto-portal and get back to Clockwork. If not, he could probably track down a natural ghost portal himself. Probably. “Clockwork should have at least warned me how to get back, unless he didn’t know I’d end up here…” Great, more and more problems were popping up. 

Glancing around the front desk again, he finally found a recent enough newspaper, picking it up and flipping through it. Further reading showed it was a  _ college  _ newspaper. “Great. College library- Okay, maybe it’s the one I need!” A few minutes showed that it was  _ not  _ the one he needed. The one he needed was near two thousand miles away. “Great...road trip of one, and right when I’m having trouble flying…” Stupid failing body. 

“Kids aren’t allowed in the college library, you know.” Letting out a rather high pitched squeak, Danny spun around to see a tired college student, who looked rather amused at startling him. “And it’s midnight...what are you even doing here?” 

“ Not being suspicious,” Danny answered immediately, pausing as the other slowly raised his eyebrow. “And, wow, that actually makes me sound  _ really  _ suspicious, doesn’t it?” 

“Just a bit.” Danny shrugged and followed after the student to one of the desks, where books were scattered around, as well as various notebooks, highlighters, water bottles, coffee cups, and an empty bag of what looked to be unhealthy snacks. “Oo, let me guess, finals?” 

“ I wonder what gave it away? The mess, or the fact it’s midnight and I’m still here.” The stack of books the student had been carrying was dropped onto another pile, the man looking back up with a worn smile. “The name’s Michael, and, besides being suspicious, what are you  _ really  _ doing here, kid?” 

“ One, I’m not a kid, I’ll be sixteen, uh, today, actually. Two, I’m not being  _ that  _ suspicious. Three, your name is hilarious.” At Michael’s raised eyebrow, he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. “No offense, I just have a, ah, friend, who goes by that name, and the reason he does is pretty funny. Four, my business is my own, thank you very much.” 

“ Mhm, allow me to reiterate with my own list. One, happy birthday.” Danny grinned at that, Michael giving an eyeroll. “Two, yes, you  _ are  _ being that suspicious. Three, you must have strange friends. Four, your business isn’t your own when on private property.” 

“All of these are very valid points,” Danny nodded, serious expression gone in a second. “I’m Danny, by the way! Nice to meet you!” Settling down in one of the chairs, the teen looked over to the college student, who gave a long sigh and sat down himself. “And my business here is Top Secret. Hush hush stuff.” 

“I’m not sure which is stronger, the urge to keep asking questions, or the urge to call the police.” Smiling, Danny gave as sweet a look as he could, Michael only rolling his eyes. “You’re the type to use your powers for evil, aren’t you?” 

“ Nah, I’m more the hero type,” Danny snickered, finally noticing what the man was wearing, and almost hitting himself that he didn’t notice sooner. He really  _ was  _ out of it. “Say, is that a purple trenchcoat? And gray scarf?” At the confused nod, Danny gave one of his own. “Riiight… Of course. So,  _ Michael _ , your real name wouldn’t happen to be Andrew Riter, would it?” To be truthful, he wasn’t expecting the glare that was shot his way, or the rapid French that left the other’s mouth. “Uh...what? I mean, I only know, like, a  _ little  _ French.” 

“ No one in this  _ country  _ should know my real name.” And, wow, that was sort of terrifying. He wasn’t use to that tone of voice being directed at him by his mate, well, maybe at first he was, but not now. “You have one minute to explain how you know me and why I shouldn’t kill you  _ right now _ .” 

“ Wow, uh, I didn’t know you could be this terrifying.” At the gaze that said the human was being  _ very  _ serious, Danny decided his best option was the truth. “You told me your name, well, not  _ you  _ you, but future you. Twenty or so years in the future, you. See, my name is Danny Fenton, and I’m a time traveler from the future- Although I don’t know how I ended up here. 

“Due to a lab accident from my scientist parents, I received powers that could best be described as ectoplasmic in nature. I know you in the future quite well, which is why I could tell it was you, that and you don’t change your outfit very much. And see, same scarf.” Danny held up the gray scarf at that point, Andrew giving it a shocked look. “You sort of let me steal it from you, cause you left a lot of hickies that day.” He wasn’t expecting the flustered blush of the other. 

“ I- I  _ what _ ?” Danny shrugged with a smile, scratching the back of his head. 

“ Yeah, it’s a long story, but you like stories, so it’s all good. Also, I knew the name Michael wasn’t real because that’s one of your pen names, M. J. Anderson. You used it to write The Soundless Clock, which is  _ gorgeous _ , but you’ll hear me gush about that enough in the future- The book did really well, by the way. And no movie adaptation, thank god. I couldn’t handle the horror  _ that  _ would bring.” At the silence, and look of utter confusion, Danny gave another smile. “Go on, ask a question with an answer that you would only tell someone you trust.” 

“Alright...what’s the name of my sister?” Andrew asked curiously, Danny laughing. 

“Leave it to you to ask trick questions! You don’t have a sister, but you do have a brother! His name is Randy- I haven’t met him, yet, though.” 

“ Nor do I hope you do,” Andrew muttered, Danny letting out a smile as he tiredly rested his head on the table. So, it may not have been  _ his  _ Andrew, but it was still  _ Andrew _ . “Where in England am I from?” 

“France,” Danny chuckled, looking up at the other in amusement. “A real fan of trick questions, huh? But yeah, you told me you grew up in France, and then lived in England- Oh, hey! You have an accent right now! That’s so cool!” At the look, the teen shrugged. “By the time I met you, you lost your accent. Kind of vague on that, but, you know, whatever. You know, I could just show you my student ID.” 

“Which can be faked,” Andrew snorted, sighing as Danny got the ID out anyways, handing it over. “Sixteen, hm?” At the nod, the man gave a smirk. “Tiny, aren’t you?” 

“ Ruude. But, anyways, yeah. Time Travel. Think Ches from Star Gazers.” At the startled look, Danny grinned again. “I’ve read all your books. I’ll spare you the endless gushing and praise, you’ll get enough of that when you meet me the first time around- Well, second. Our first meeting didn’t go... _ that  _ well.” At the look, the teen nervously shrugged. “Um, I’m sorry in advance for that. And, you know, Christmas. Horrible time of the year.” 

“For the sake of my sanity, I’ll believe you,” Andrew finally sighed, handing the ID back. “When you leave, however, I’ll do my best to wipe this event from my memory.” 

“If it makes you feel better, you succeed, since you don’t seem to recognize me in the future,” Danny put in, pausing as if something just occurred to him. “You’re...studying for finals, right?” 

“Yes? Third year, to be precise.” 

_ Oh, you know how it is! Stay up all night studying, trying to cram- _

“So, uh, studying to be a teacher, right?” At the hesitant nod, Danny gave as warm a smile as he could. “You’re going to be a great teacher.” He had saved Danny from failing, after all. He didn’t need to know that- That...

_...Finals were just a day or two away, it happened to be my third year. It always seems to be third year that’s the hardest… It… 1983.  _

“ If you really are a time traveler, then why would you end up  _ here  _ of all places and times? Especially if you know me in the future! Haven’t you ever heard of the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’?” 

“Yes, but satisfaction brought it back~” Danny hummed, sitting back up. “And I don’t know, I just sort of...woke up here. A week ahead of where I am in my time. It was sort of jarring, since I fell asleep at your place.” At the unsure look on the other’s face, Danny let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I wouldn’t think on things too much. It’ll make sense...in time.” 

“I believe, as soon as finals are over, I will work on getting as shitfaced drunk as possible.” Danny let out a startled laugh at that, thoughts finally intruding as his smile died. 

_ I don’t...quite remember it the way I should, I think- See, I was at the college library that night-  _

“Are you alright?” No...it couldn’t be, right? He couldn’t have ended up back in time just to- Just- “You look as if, well, as if you’ve seen a ghost.” 

“I...suppose you could say that…” Danny laughed, horrified note in the tone that both noticed. “Third year, right? 1983. Finals in a few days!” 

_ Finals were just a day or two away. _

“ ...Danny?” And the library,  _ this  _ library. This constant sense of familiarity, of having walked the halls thousands of times - because he had. He had spent months in this library, months that had felt like years. He was still learning every day, but this library was his home as much as it was his mate’s. The one that had  _ burned  _ with him. The one that  _ needed  _ to burn with him. 

“So...this is what Clockwork is always having to deal with...and all with that damn smile.” Danny had received his powers from a timekeeper, he knew what that sense was. That sense of knowing what he had to do. There was no jumping to conclusions, no being paranoid, or begging to be wrong, or trying to change things. There was just...history. “All...is as it should be…” 

_ There was a fire. _

“ I’m sorry, Andrew.”  _ I’m sorry, Andrew.  _ Two rings of white light wrapped around the teen, even as Andrew stumbled out of his chair and away from the table. “I really,  _ really  _ am. And if I could change things, give my life instead, I wouldn’t even hesitate- But that’s not how time works. You know it isn’t, you’ve written about it, after all.” 

“You have to kill me, don’t you?” The tone was resigned, expectant, even. It was said so casually, so nonchalantly, that it had Danny stumbling back himself. “It’s not much of a surprise, if you know my past...but I’m guessing you don’t… I don’t know who you think I am, or how you know me in the future...but I was never a good person.” Andrew gave a bitter smile as he saw the teen take another step back. “Shocked? Don’t be…

“I’ve been expecting death for a long time.” 

_ Because as soon as I thought I was  _ _** safe ** _ _ , it all came crashing down and I woke up  _ _** dead-  ** _

“ No...you’re- I don’t know who  _ you  _ think you are, but you  _ are  _ a good person!” Danny clenched the scarf around his neck, trying to calm himself down. “You are...you really,  _ really  _ are. You make me feel safe, something I thought I would never feel again. You make me feel like I can be  _ myself _ \- With you...I don’t have to be the hero.” 

“I expect with you, in that time, I don’t have to be the villain,” Andrew mused, tugging on the edge of the scarf around his own neck. “You’re going to kill me, I can see that easily enough...but I know you’re doing it for a reason, and that in the future, even after I figure it out, I’ll still trust you.” 

“ How...how could you remember this and  _ ever  _ trust me?! I’m about to  _ kill  _ you!” 

“This scarf was my mother’s.” At that, Danny looked up in shock, Andrew giving him a warm and gentle smile. A smile that he had only seen given to him. “It’s all I have left of her...and I gave it to you. That speaks more than words could ever say, mon cher.” 

“You...called me mon cher…” 

“It just seemed like something I should use. Am I wrong?” Danny slowly shook his head, fingers uncurling from where he had been clutching the scarf. The two stood silent for a few moments, Danny finally flying over shakily, hovering in front of the other before giving him a gentle kiss. “I suppose that answers the question of what our relationship is like.” 

“Heh, guess it does… It’ll make sense. Eventually. One day, I think…” Danny wrapped his arms around his future mate, biting back tears as the other hugged him back. “We’ll meet again, you know. The next time we meet, though, will be the first time you meet me...and you won’t remember this. 

“ You’ll be lonely until then, too, because you’re so  _ you _ , but, I  _ promise _ , things...will be better. I may not know what’s in your past, but I know you won’t have anything to fear anymore. We’ll meet again! One day, and then...things will be better.” Energy gathering in his hand, Danny carefully pressed his palm against the back of the other’s neck, letting out a bitter smile. 

“Don’t forget to write that Christmas poem.” 

Andrew fell unconscious in seconds, Danny catching him and gently lowering him to the floor, pressing a kiss to his forehead as he took to the air again. “Look after him for me, okay, Vidya?” Near the ceiling now, hands blazing with ghostly energy, he gave a hollow laugh. “This is going to hurt, but you’ll be okay. You both will be.” One blast was all it took. 

“ Of course it was me...the kid who has an obsession to  _ protect _ , and the hero complex to boot. The one who loves you, and can’t stand to see you in pain… Of course…” Smoke was already filling the room, Danny flying back to Andrew’s side and soothingly brushing bangs out of his eyes. 

_ Smoke inhalation. I don’t remember the fires, though… Just...a chill. Maybe all ghosts forget the exact moment they died, or perhaps all my trying to forget finally paid off. Maybe I just don’t want to remember...because to remember…  _

“ Because to remember would mean this, right?” Fire was spreading faster than he could keep track of. Late as it was, and quick as it was catching, it would be too late to stop now. He could do it though...he had ice powers. He could put this whole place out...save Andrew...keep him safe… He could do it. He  _ knew  _ he could. Just...use his powers...and… 

Caught up in his thoughts as he was, it was too late to see the blue portal that opened up underneath him, dumping him right into the tower of the Clock Citadel, where all his friends and family were yelling and arguing with each other. Glancing up at their faces, which all radiated shock and surprise, he blinked and tilted his head. 

“ Let me guess...I’ve been gone for a week and it’s my birthday, right?” He received a few nods, Danny letting out a hollow and broken laugh, hands clenching his scarf again as he stood to his feet. “What a great first gift! So, guess what I just got to do? I just got to go back in time and set fire to the library that Andrew,  _ my mate _ , burned to death in!” 

The shocked looks grew horrified and concerned in equal amounts, Danny noticing that Andrew looked  _ guilty _ . And wasn’t that the topper to all of this. That his  _ mate  _ was the one who felt guilty about everything. “Oh, but don’t worry, Andrew, everything’s going to be just fine! Do you know why?” 

Laughing again, Danny gave a wide smile, and spread his arms, “It won’t be long until I’m dead myself! Isn’t that great?!” Jazz had her hands covering her mouth, while Sam and Tucker looked sick to their stomachs. Danny noticed that even Clockwork looked shock. “So, I guess I’ll be returning the favor soon enough! I mean, two years of extreme radiation and pushing my body to it’s limits? What was I expecting to happen?! You know what the best part is? My ghost half is dying too! After this- They’ll be nothing of me left!

“ Pretty damn good retribution...huh?” 


	24. Birthday

** Chapter Twenty Four - Birthday  **

** ::  **

_ Running and crying and sobbing and pleading and begging and no matter where you ran the flames ran faster and no matter how high you went the flames climbed higher and they chased you underfoot and overfoot and you were nothing to them nothing but a little flake of snow that melted in seconds in the burning burning burning heat and there was nothing you could do because that was your duty and you were the  _ _** hero  ** _ _ and you had to do it there was no choice you could stomp and kick and cry and sob but the outcome was always the same and it would always be the same and it would be fire and death and sobs and pain and  _

Danny Fenton darted up with a choked scream, ghost powers uselessly trying to activate themselves in a display that caused nothing but a small drop in temperature. Eyes wide and shoulders shaking, the teen backed himself into the corner of his bed, gaze finding nothing but an overly messy floor, and a dim morning sunrise that spoke of fog and clouds. 

“Just...a dream…” Yet it wasn’t… After his outburst and sudden reappearance at the Citadel, he had refused to speak, avoiding everyone’s gazes and questions. His health data had apparently been shared the week he was gone, Danny’s words only confirming what the numbers had told them. And through it all, Andrew had looked torn between comforting him, and leaving, guilty expression shown the whole time. 

The scarf around his neck had never felt more like a noose. 

Tiredly running a hand through his bangs, he paused at realizing he was covered in sweat, as well as a fine layer of soot. He supposed in the confusion of last night, he had changed back into his human half before the portal had opened. Before… Sharply shaking his head, he rolled out of bed, shakily walking to the bathroom, and bumping and tripping against everything along the way. Even taking into account his emotional stability, or lack thereof, his missing balance was odd. 

Flipping the switches to a freezing cold shower, he kicked his clothes off, scarf set carefully on the edge of the sink, and stepped inside. Ten minutes later and he was in a desperate tug-of-war with his shower curtain, soon hitting the floor in a spectacular display of pain and whimpering, all while naked and dripping wet. 

What a great sweet sixteen this was turning into! All he wanted to do was stay in bed and sob his heart out about being forced to kill his mate in cold blood - instead he got cold showers and poor balance. To say he hated everything would have been an understatement. 

Hearing a gentle knock to the door, he curiously looked over, working on picking himself up from the tile. “Hey, Danny, how are you feeling?” 

“I’m dying and had to kill Andrew last night, how do you think I’m feeling?” Danny snapped, feeling a little bad as silence fell. Sighing, he reached for a spare set of clothing he had stashed in the closet, getting dressed and grabbing the scarf. “I’m...well, not good, but not totally off my rocker insane, at least.” 

“That’s...good?” Jazz half asked, watching as her brother opened the door and headed back for the bed, flopping down and not bothering to move. “How would you feel...about skipping school today? Maybe go to the park? Movies? Whatever you want to do!” 

“ ...Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” At the dirty pair of jeans thrown at his head, the teen finally managed a smile. “Honestly? I don’t think I could handle dealing with school today…  _ You  _ ditching, however? I just can’t see it.” 

“I could ditch! You know, if I wanted to,” Jazz coughed, blushing at the raised eyebrow. “What? You don’t think I can? I can so ditch!” Danny only let out a laugh, watching as Jazz took a seat beside his legs. “Danny…” 

“ Oh, no...is this going to be one of those ‘it isn’t your fault and you have nothing to feel guilty for’ talks? Because if it is, I will  _ crawl _ to freedom, you know I will!” At the flat look he was given, Danny gave as dramatic a sigh as he could manage. “Alright, fine. Go on. Tell me how this was never my fault, and Andrew doesn’t blame me, could  _ never  _ blame me, and how we both love each other too much to let this get in the way. How this was something that had to happen, and that Clockwork will eventually figure out the cause, and I should worry less.” 

“ I  _ would _ , but you just said it all for me,” Jazz grumbled, giving a smile at Danny’s chuckle. “Any chance you want to talk about it?” At the terrified look to the suggestion of  _ talking  _ about his  _ feelings _ , Jazz raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, we don’t have to talk about it. If you ever  _ do _ want to, however, then I’m always here.” 

“...Thank you, Jazz.” Smiling softly, Danny shook his head and let out a laugh. “Still, you ditching? I can’t see it. At all.” Jazz was about to respond when she saw Danny’s face turn an interesting shade of green, panicked expression on his face. 

“ Danny? Are you alright?” She received an answer when the teen went scrambling to the bathroom, heaving sounds heard moments later. “I’ll take that as a no, then.” Following after her brother, and patting his back at seeing he was bent over the toilet, she gave a sigh, “Looks like now you have a  _ reason  _ to skip school.” 

“ Yippee,” Danny mumbled, wincing at the raw feeling in his throat. Throwing up was one thing, but on an empty stomach it produced nothing but  _ acid _ , which, he decided, was not very fun. “Leave me behind. Save yourself!” 

“Couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Danny only groaned as he was dragged back to his bed, clean and empty trash can set next to him. “I’ll go ahead and let Sam and Tucker know why you’re not there today.” 

“It’s just a little throwing up, I’m fine!” Danny whined, looking as pathetic as possible while the blankets were pulled over him. “Jaaaazz.” 

“Daaaanny.” Letting out a laugh at the mimicking tone, the teen frowned at the thermometer that was shoved in his mouth. A few moments, and a beep, later, and he heard Jazz’s tsk. “What?” Seeing the numbers as the device was held in front of him, Danny pursed his lips. “Okay. No school.” 

“ No school.” Sighing, Jazz pressed a kiss against the boy’s forehead, laughing at his childish expression. “Try not to get out of bed today. I’ll bring you some water and leave some soup on the stove, in case you get hungry. I’ll bring some medication back, too, after school. Maybe we’ll find something that actually  _ works _ ,” she snorted. 

“Yeah, yeah. Go indulge in your nerdy ways, you nerd.” Danny stuck his tongue out at the flick to his forehead, Jazz rolling her eyes as she opened one of the windows for air, leaving to get the other some water. Danny only had his eyes on the slowly rising sun, bird chirps filling the air. “Dying, huh…” 

Retribution, indeed. 

::

_ No matter where you run the flames are after you and it’s all your fault and he’s  _ _** dead  ** _ _ and you’re the one who killed him you’re the one who did it and it’s all your fault yours yours yours yours yours YOURS YOURS YOURS and the smell of burning bones, boiling blood, and melting flesh and it was everywhere and there was no escape and no matter where you ran the screams chased and followed you and were everywhere the sounds of your precious precious mate who you killed without even thinking about it and he’s dead and dying and going to die and there’s nothing you can to stop it because you CAUSE it and you watch with fire in your hands and a twisted smile and you  _ _** enjoy it  ** _ _ and  _

Danny yelped as he fell off his bed, blankets wrapped around him like a straitjacket. He was therefore surprised that, instead of hitting the floor, he was caught and lifted back into bed, cool hands pressed against his forehead as an all too familiar sigh echoed in his ears. 

“Honestly, mon cher, leave it to you of all people to get sick on your birthday.” Heart still pounding from his nightmares, Danny only gave the ghost a confused look, blinking at the kiss pressed to his forehead. “Jasmine contacted me. You really thought she would leave you on your own when sick?” 

“H-Heh, guess I hoped,” Danny nervously chuckled, eyes burning with the feeling of shedding tears, which were quickly brushed away by his mate, each tear replaced with a gentle kiss. Voice thick, Danny gave a shuddering sigh, “I’m guessing it’s useless to ask if you hate me, huh?” 

“Very,” Andrew chuckled. “Hungry?” 

“Ugh, I never want to eat food again,” Danny groaned, flopping back onto his bed, pausing for a few seconds before scooting over and giving his mate the most pathetic look he could manage. “I never want to be lonely again, either…” 

“Hero you may be, but your powers are still used for evil,” Andrew joked, slipping his shoes and coat off before getting under the covers, cuddling the boy close to him. 

“I guess that means you remembered everything, huh?” At the nod, Danny sighed, burying his face into the other’s chest. “How long?” 

“The night of that thunderstorm,” Andrew responded quietly, hand running through Danny’s hair. “When I was telling you how I died...I remembered when you told me you were sorry.” 

“You’ve known...that long?” 

“I never blamed you, mon cher, then or now. Like I said...I was always expecting death…” Shaking his head, Andrew gave another sigh. “Speaking of death, however…” 

“Ah, yes, that. Give me, like, an hour, to come up with a really good lie.” At the flick to the tip of his nose, the teen pouted. “Well, I mean, not much to say, is there?” 

“Not much,” Andrew agreed, the two falling silent. Danny must have dozed off, since when he woke up, Andrew was sitting up and reading, although he had yet to leave his side, from what he could tell. 

“Ugh, what time is it?” Danny grumbled, gratefully drinking the glass of water that was offered to him. “Let me guess, 7 minutes past noon.” 

“...yes.” Danny blinked at that, looking to the clock a few feet away. 

“Well. Okay then.” Sitting up, rather weakly, he settled himself down by Andrew’s side, tugging on his shirt to get his attention. “See that book on the top shelf of the closet? I need it.” Andrew tugged the book to them with his powers, Danny gratefully taking it. 

“Is that a sketchbook?” 

“ Yup! You are now one of four people who know I draw.” Flipping the book open, Danny picked up a sharpened pencil that was lying between the pages, flipping through slowly as Andrew quietly studied them. “You can tell when I started falling in love with you, seeing how much I  _ draw  _ you.” 

“ These… Danny, these are  _ really  _ good.” Danny coughed and offered a shy smile, grinning at the kiss to his cheek. “Somehow, I am not surprised to find that you are an artist.” 

“ Says the one who gives off the writer vibe so much it’s almost cliche,” Danny snickered, laughing at the dramatic sigh he was given. “Yeah, yeah, sigh all you want, but do it while staying still. It’s easier to draw you when I can actually  _ look  _ at you without messing up. Maybe this time I’ll be able to draw your damn goatee right.” 

“I rather like my goatee,” the ghost pouted, Danny rolling his eyes and giving his mate a quick kiss. “I do, too. Still. Ridiculous.” 

“ Allow me to answer in your own words, by saying  _ rude _ .” 

“I learned from the best, mon ange~” The rest of the afternoon proceed with the two quietly reading or drawing, making sarcastic remarks, and Andrew forcing Danny to eat every so often. It wasn’t long until Danny was falling asleep while drawing, Andrew finally having to pry the worn pencil and sketchbook out of his hands. It was when he was seconds from sleep, however, that he said what had been on his mind for weeks. “Hey, Andrew…

“I really don’t want to die…” 

::

_ Safe and warm and happy and everything was perfectly fine and there was nothing to worry about because it all worked out in the end and everything had a happy ending and it had been so hard to get there but he was happy and healthy and he had his friends and his family and his mate and he just had to keep fighting and keep going and he could do that he was good at that and there was  _ _** hope  ** _ _ and _

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANNY!!” Danny once again woke up with a scream stuck in his throat. The jerky movement of his awakening, however, was sudden enough that he ended up banging heads with the two friends that had been leaning over him, all three clutching their heads in a similar expression of pain. Jazz and Andrew, who had wisely chosen to stand back, were working on not letting out their laughter. 

“ You all...are  _ insane _ ,” Danny hissed, clutching at his head in pain. “What are you even doing, leaning over me like that, you creepy people?!” Tucker and Sam, on their part, just crawled onto Danny’s bed, each friend sitting on either side of him. “Seriously?” At the flash of a camera, he looked to Jazz and Andrew, the former of whom had taken the picture, and the latter who was  _ recording  _ everything. “ _ Seriously _ ?!” 

“ So, we were  _ going  _ to cut school and hang with you today, seeing as you're emotionally traumatized,” Sam explained, linking her arm with Danny’s, while Tucker threw his arm around his shoulders. “But then Jazz told us you were pretty sick, so we just decided on a birthday party on your bed in the late hours of the night.” 

“Please save me,” Danny begged, groaning in defeat as his only two hopes of escape sat right down on the edge of the bed, both grinning. “Everyone who loves me is evil.” 

“ Probably,” Tucker shrugged. “So, midnight birthday party!” With that, he produced a cupcake with a small candle, Danny happily taking it while wondering how the hell his friend had managed to climb over him and onto the bed without showing or dropping it. “So, not much you missed today. Just, you know, Valerie and Skulker getting into a fight about  _ real  _ ghost hunting, and Sam setting off the fire alarms.” 

“Why did you set off the fire alarms?” Andrew asked, Sam giving a shrug. 

“I wondered what Paulina would do if her makeup and hair were suddenly soaked, decided today was as good a day as any, so Danny didn’t have to worry about covering up those burns on his arm.” As Danny choked on his cupcake at the startling phrase, Tucker patted him on the back. “Oh, please. You aren’t that sneaky, Danny!” 

“You really aren’t,” Jazz smiled apologetically, Danny giving everyone betrayed looks. “Oh, stop puppy pouting and finish your cupcake.” 

“ Evil,  _ evil  _ people,” Danny huffed, finishing the last of the cupcake and then tossing the candle at Jazz, who deftly caught it and tossed it to the desk. 

“The point of right now, however, is to make you forget about your emotional trauma and scars, and instead make you smile! So, here!” Reaching over the side of the bed, Sam picked up a heavy box, setting it down on Danny’s lap, who let out a wince at the sudden weight. “Mine’s the biggest because I love you the most.” 

“I take offense to that,” Andrew huffed, Jazz and Tucker glaring as well. 

“I love you the most not including the freaky soul mate ghost magic thing going on with you and the writer. Now, open my gift and be amazed.” Danny bit his lip to hide his laugh, doing as told. He didn’t fail to notice how the wrapping paper had a swarm of happy green ghosts. A box was soon opened to show a sleek, spectral green laptop that looked top of the line. 

Breath taken away, he looked to Sam with suspiciously shiny eyes, “Sammy…” 

“You can thank me by not acting like Tucker would.” Once again ignoring Tucker’s glare, she laughed as Danny pulled her into a full body hug, rubbing their cheeks together and grinning widely. “You are adorable, and if GW messes up, he’s never getting you back.” 

“I’ll take note of that, shall I?” Sam stuck her tongue out at Andrew, who had a small smile on his face. 

“And now, it’s time for the best present!” Tucker bragged, throwing Sam’s box to the floor with more than a little aggression, reaching over their legs for his own and setting it in Danny’s lap. “Took me weeks to finally nail the wiring, but I did good.” 

Danny rolled his eyes as he opened the small box, deciding to not comment on the rows of ghost Pokemon on the wrapping paper. What he saw had him tilting his head in confusion. “Dare I ask?” He tugged out six pokeballs and a pokedex, all in a spectral green color as well. “And...why does this look like the Fenton Thermos?” At least in color and wiring, with the added addition of his insignia on the ball. 

“Same technology, different design.” Words registering, Danny gave a slowly building grin. “You are now a pokemon trainer. See, I’ll even show you how they work! Just press the button, and throw at the ghost of choice!” Before Danny could stop him, Tucker threw one at Andrew, who stopped it with a flick of his fingers and threw it back at the teen’s head, rather hard. 

“Pokeball failed. I suggest being careful when using it on psychic types.” Danny let out a laugh, patting Tucker at seeing his pouting expression. 

“Your boyfriend is a jerk,” he huffed, picking up the pokedex and flipping it open. “Meet the Ghostdex, with a bio for every ghost, and hunter, you’ve met! See, I have one for everyone, look, here’s Jazz.” 

“Overbearing, second-generation hunter who should be feared and avoided. Only anger at risk of life.” Jazz nodded in satisfaction, Danny rolling his eyes. Scrolling through the list of hunters, and clicking on one, he let out a loud laugh, hands flying to cover his mouth. 

“What? What just happened?” Tucker blinked as the device was held in front of him, face erupting in a blush as he took it and threw it against the wall, shattering it as the others gave him strange looks. “I’ll make him a new one...and not code it at three am in the morning.” 

“Oh my goood,” Danny gasped for air, face starting to turn red. “I cannot believe-” He was cut off by a hand over his mouth, Tucker looking frantic as Sam let out another loud sigh. 

“Getting back on track,” Jazz interrupted. “Here’s mine.” Danny caught the package that was tossed at him, snorting at seeing the cliche multicolored balloons. Tearing the paper off, he grinned at seeing the brand new sketchbook. “Since your last one was getting full.” 

“Gee, I wonder who you’ve been drawing so much, to fill it so quickly,” Sam snickered, nudging her friend in the side and grinning at his blush. “Oh, yeah! Ember dropped this off, said your weird boss gave it to her to give to you, for your birthday.” Danny took the offered cassette, smiling at seeing the playlist written on it included all his favorite classic rock songs, the ones he often sang to when working. 

“I’ll have to thank her next day I’m working,” Danny grinned, setting the cassette next to the other presents, which were carefully resting on his bed, away from any edges or potential tumbles. Sam felt like warning him that the things were damn near indestructible, but she had to admit, she liked seeing his panic. 

“Oh, yeah! Stay right here!” Jazz jumped off the bed and ran out the door, coming back a few moments later with a small present. “Clockwork gave this to me a few days ago, said it was for your birthday.” 

“Oo, gifts from the Master of Time,” Danny grinned, accepting the gift, which was a cardboard jewelry box that was a sky blue. “Why do I have the feeling it will be a piece of wisdom…” Flipping the lid open, they all blinked in surprise at the beautifully crafted pocket watch, which sat on velvet lining that was an all too familiar shade of purple. The opening front showed beautiful black vine work, and a back that was an icy blue, the same as his ice powers. “Pretty sure Clockwork just beat all of you.” 

“ He cheated,” Sam argued. “Being the Master of Time is an automatic disqualification. Besides, he may not have beat  _ all  _ of us. You still have your doting boyfriend’s present to open.” 

“Oo, let me guess, you got me a book?” Andrew rolled his eyes as his powers floated a wrapped gift over to Danny, which was an eye watering shade of orange that had him laughing. “Oh my god, did Vidya wrap this?!” 

“Yes, to my distaste,” Andrew grumbled, watching as Danny carefully tore the wrapping paper off, grinning the entire time. 

“Ha, book. Knew it.” Pushing the paper out of the way, and seeing the title, Danny’s face scrunched up in confusion, the teen going completely still a second later, Tucker and Sam looking at him in worry. 

“Uh, dude, you okay?” Not getting a response, Tucker looked to Andrew, who was grinning. “What the hell did you do?” 

“Wait for it.” 

“‘The Ticking Hands’?” Sam mumbled, reading the author name before flipping open to the first few pages. “Did you...did you write a sequel to his favorite book ever?” Hearing the words seemed to snap Danny out of his mindless daze. He then shocked the others by full out tackling Andrew to the ground in a hug, Jazz just barely catching the recording camera and turning it on them. 

“So, Danny, how much do you like Andrew’s gift?” Jazz asked, laughing as Danny looked to the camera with teary eyes, close to breaking down in sobs as Andrew more than slightly panicked, and tried to reassure him. 

“ Andrew wins.” 


	25. Timely Woes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I usually leave really funny comments and notes but I'm very tired and all my humorous wit was used when uploading these to FFN.

** Chapter Twenty Five - Timely Woes **

** ::  **

“Hello, Daniel.” Clockwork managed a tired smile as he saw the young half ghost fade back into the visible spectrum, changing back into his human half with a distinct pout on his face. “You really should avoid using those new ghost containment devices on Skulker.” 

“ First of all, Skulker needs to learn to take a joke. I mean, who doesn’t know what Pokemon is?! Second of all, just  _ once  _ can’t you let me at least  _ pretend  _ to sneak up on you?!” So, he wasn’t  _ technically  _ angry, but Danny reserved his right of acting like an immature brat around Clockwork. “I mean, give me some leeway here.” The old ghost had dealt with worse than Danny, after all. ...Probably, at least. 

“I think you’ve surprised me enough for one lifetime,” Clockwork sighed, Danny grinning in twisted glee at the expression on the other’s face. “How does so much trouble find you?” 

“Genetics and the choice of being a hero,” Danny smiled brightly, hiding his laugh at Clockwork’s groan. “To be fair, I kind of saw this coming when I saw how bad Elle was the first time. I mean, even with me getting my powers the way I did, with you on the other side, a human body still wouldn’t be able to handle all that pressure and power for long.” 

“You should have lived to your late fifties.” And wow, there was some bitterness in there. “The chances of this happening...are lower than could have been expected.” 

“ Well, I mean, I am rather unexpected.” At the lack of an answer, Danny patted the ghost’s back. “Hey, you could always use denial! Denial, I can attest to, works wonders. Until, you know, your feelings get the better of you, and you’re unable to keep lying to yourself, because  _ it never works _ , and then you end up confessing the secrets you’ve been burying for months and months right after a massive panic attack. I mean- Wait...wait...I was going somewhere with that…” 

“I’m sure you were. Your words, however, seemed to have followed the path of your life, and went off course.” 

“ Ruuude,” Danny huffed, pausing for a few seconds. “So, what are the chances of me dying in the next year?” Getting nothing but a rather heavy silence, Danny let out as dramatic a sigh as possible. “Okay, what about within the next  _ two  _ years?” 

“Must we truly discuss this?” 

“I mean, I don’t know. Discussing imminent death seems like something that’s pretty important,” Danny shrugged, blinking as he noticed just how worn and ragged Clockwork looked, hovering in front of his time mirrors as if he was carrying the weight of worlds - and in a way, Danny supposed he was. “Wow, you look more depressed than Jazz when she thinks I’m not looking.” 

“ Hm, I wonder why that is. Perhaps because someone who I consider to be my  _ child  _ is slowly  _ dying _ . I believe that is warrant for my stress, Daniel.” 

“ Aw, you do care!” He was very lucky he had quick reflexes, as he barely dodged the time staff aimed for his head. “Whoa, geez, come on man, show a little sympathy, I’m dying here!” Wincing at the whack he had  _ not  _ dodged, he finally sighed. “Yeah, okay, deserved that one.” 

“ Quite.” Tower going silent again, Danny quietly stood next to Clockwork’s side, rocking back and forth on his heels as he thought of what to say. He was never much of the reassuring type, more the type to nervously offer hugs and then panic. “Sooo… How’s...it been going?” Immediately he was groaning as he smacked his forehead. “I’m so  _ bad  _ at this. I don’t- I don’t do reassurance, Clockwork! Stop being sad!” 

“I see you are remarkably dramatic as always, a sign that your health is not deteriorating as fast as you believe.” 

“Well, hey, I mean...if you’re gonna be dramatic, at least do it when you’re dying- Okay, okay! No hitting me with the staff, thank you!” Relatively sure that he wasn’t about to get hit again, he turned back to the mirrors, looking at them curiously. “So, did you ever find out how I ended up back in the 80s? I mean, it’s like a bad remake of Back to the Future- Which makes you Doc Brown… I can see it…” 

“ Truly, I am unsure if I should worry about you at times, or not,” Clockwork grumbled, words contradicting the small smile on his face. “As for figuring out how you ended up traveling through two time portals, marked for specific and exact events in a way that could have only been influenced by outside forces… It worries me that I  _ haven’t  _ found something.” 

“ What? The Master of Time unable to see something? Isn’t that one of the signifiers for the end of the world, or something?” Danny ignored the rather light glare shot his way, far too used to them as it was, from  _ multiple  _ people. “Is time disintegrating, then? Or is it simply unstable due to an unquantified outside force? Or perhaps a constant was changed that caused a destabilization that affected events in a way they weren’t meant to be affected by.” 

“ ...I...am unsure how to respond to that.” It was one thing for Danny to give random theories, but for them to contain an understanding about time and space, an understanding he shouldn’t have for  _ decades _ , well, that was where things became worrying. “What would make you say those theories?” 

“I dunno, they just sound right,” Danny shrugged, looking unconcerned at what he had just said, as if unaware of the full potential of his words. “Oh, hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, were there ever any other timekeepers, or was it just you and Clockwise-” 

“Where did you hear that name?” Danny flinched at the tone of voice, looking equal parts confused and concerned at Clockwork’s expression. 

“ Uh- You- You told me? You said he was your teacher...and, um, the Master of Time before you, or, uh, yeah. Is that...bad?” Before Clockwork could struggle to answer, he was interrupted by a bright green dog tackling Danny to the ground. “Ow! What- Cujo! Hey, boy!” Immediately the teen was cuddling the puppy close to him, scratching the top of his head and gushing over how cute he was. “Oh, hey! Cujo! You haven’t seen Sam or Tucker or Jazz in  _ ages _ ! Let’s go find them, heh, and get a little revenge…” 

Clockwork watched as Danny triggered his transformation, giving him a quick hug before zooming away, Cujo following right at his tail. It was a few more seconds before Clockwork let out a weary sigh, hand running down his face, “Too soon...far too soon.” 

Opening a portal, he flew into it, giving as best a smile he could as Jazz looked up from her work. At once, the woman was sighing, looking ready to knock herself unconscious with her books. “Let me guess...monumental trouble with Danny that involves danger, possible death earlier than expected, and other catastrophes.” 

“You are remarkably well at guessing, Jasmine.” 

“ It’s  _ Jazz _ ,” the human stressed, rolling her eyes at the pleasant smile she was given. “Alright, what’s the damage this time?” 

“Not so much damage as...the possibility of it.” At the raised eyebrow he was given, Clockwork let out a sigh. “I wish for you to keep an eye on him as best you can. Things are starting to head in a direction that...shouldn’t exist, let alone be possible. And yet from what I’ve seen…” 

“Does this possibility of danger involve worlds ending and multiple people dying?” At the nod, Jazz leaned back in her chair, eyes closed. “And Danny’s right in the middle of it, isn’t he?” 

“It would seem so.” 

“ That boy…” Giving another sigh, Jazz looked back to the ghost. “Alright, I’ll keep an eye on him as best I can, but I mean, it’s  _ Danny _ . The chances of keeping him 100% out of trouble are, well, I’m sure you already know the chances.” 

“Dismal.” 

::

Andrew looked up from the bookshelf he was re-organizing, again, at hearing Vidya’s doors slam shut rather quickly. His confusion only grew when he saw Danny soon standing in front of him, completely drenched in mud, and holding a squirming ghost puppy. 

“ My plan of revenge backfired dramatically,” Danny nodded wisely, Cujo barking his agreement. “It was a good plan, but there were some variables I had not expected...such as Valerie. And, you know, once she’s involved, there’s no escaping without some form of harm, whether physical or emotional. So. You know. Mud. Mud  _ everywhere _ . And...and I think poison ivy?” 

“Well, to be fair, mud is rather good for poison ivy,” Andrew pointed out, doing his best to fight down his laughter. It was hardly his fault if his mate, all five-foot-two of him, drenched and dripping, looked utterly adorable. “Keeps the itching and swelling down.” 

“ Yeah. That was what Sam said. Which is why I’m covered in it.” The teen glanced to the carpet he had tracked mud on, looking up apologetically to the ceiling. “Sorry about the mess, Vidya.” He took the soothing violin notes as a reassuring thing. “So, um, I know ghosts don’t really  _ need  _ bathrooms, but please tell me you have one. I’m pretty sure the mud is drying, and I can’t go home yet.” 

“Why can’t you go home?” Andrew asked curiously, already setting his books down as he gestured for the mud-coated teen to follow him, Danny doing so automatically.

“ See, my first revenge attempt failed, but not my second. Sam, Tuck, and Val might also be coated in layers of mud. Sam seemed okay with it, she’s used to this stuff from working in her greenhouse all the time. Tucker was not happy. Val even less so. I’m pretty sure she was close to going Red Huntress, and that was with me as  _ human _ . So. Yeah. I’m hiding here. Forever.” 

“I seem to remember that the last time those words were spoken, you only stayed for a few hours.” 

“ Yeah, well...I don’t have a good response. I just. Mud, Andrew. Mud,  _ everywhere _ .” Blinking as he was pushed into a rather pristine, and large, bathroom, Danny happily noted the full and steaming bathtub, a layer of bubbles coating the service. Sending his mental thanks to Vidya, he chuckled as Cujo squirmed out of his arms, running full tilt for the bathtub and jumping in. “Sooo, since you’re already here, I mean, you  _ could  _ help. Mud is rather hard to get out of hair, after all. And I mean, at that point you would already be soaking wet, so...you could just, you know,  _ join  _ me.” 

Danny couldn’t say he was surprised as he was shoved into the sunken bathtub, popping up to see the door slamming shut, although not before seeing a furiously blushing Andrew. “Aw, come on, can’t you take a joke?!” He supposed the shampoo bottle that hit his forehead meant that Vidya was siding with her owner. “Aw, come on! I was kidding! You know... _ mostly _ \- No, no! Kidding! Stop throwing things at me!

“ Jeez, you two are so-”  _ Flashes of steel and a cold gaze and quick feet and run run run for the Priest with his wings of Death is after you and there is no running there is no hiding there is no escape there is no missed target there is nothing nothing nothing but the flash of steel and the taste of blood and a cruel smile and a cold gaze and dead dead dead so many dead and it was all so wrong wrong wrong but to him it was nothing but right right right and he could learn and grow and be taken away but he would always remember nothing would ever be forgotten every sigh every throw every kill every skill nothing is ever forgotten  _

_ Not for a harbinger of death  _

Andrew was startled out of his reading by the sudden weight in his lap, a glance showing it to be a clean Danny, almost drowned out by the too large shirt and pair of pants he had on. “Did you take care of your poison ivy rash?” 

“Oh, uh, yeah. Vidya found me something for it.” Andrew raised an eyebrow at the quiet tone of voice, absently wondering if something was wrong as he watched Cujo struggle to jump onto the couch, finally clawing his way up and padding onto Danny’s back. From what Andrew could tell, the puppy was more of a ball of poofed up fur, than anything. “Hey, Andrew…” 

“Yes?” 

“I...think I had another one of those weird rampage things, only, you know, not the rampage part. Just...weird flashes, sort of like… I don’t know, memories? It’s all...blurred. I just...it felt...bad.” Feeling the gentle scratching to his scalp, the teen let out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding, fists clenched to the scarf around his neck. “Not evil bad, but just...something was wrong? I think it’s fixed now, but it still feels like it could go wrong again...” 

“ And do you think it  _ will  _ go wrong?” Danny could only remember blurs and impressions. Steel and paper. The colors black and purple. The smell of blood and the smell of parchment. Cold gazes and clever smiles. Quick feet and steady hands. It was the vaguest of pictures, and yet… 

“No...it won’t.”

::

_ Flames and fire and it was your fault yours yours yours yours yours yours IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT if you had just stayed where you were and waited for help or even left as soon as you realized but you didn’t and because you didn’t you caused that mess and it was all on your head every struggling breath and dying gasp aND WHY COULDN’T YOU JUST RUN WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE but no you had to do what was  _ _** right  ** _ _ you had to do what history  _ _** commanded  ** _ _ you had to  _ _** do as you were told and wouldn’t it be better if you never had to do that again if you never had to listen to anyone if you could just do what you wanted  ** _

_** anD wHy dON’t yOu  ** _

Danny Fenton woke up with a gasp, heart racing and eyes wide as his transformation rings sprung forth, turning him into his ghostly half as he started shaking, eyes switching between a toxic green and an icy blue. Leaping into the air, he phased down into the basement, activating the portal and rushing through, flying as if he was being chased by the nightmares themselves - and in a way, he was. 

By the time he started slowing down, exhausted and worn out, he found himself in front of the Clock Citadel, which really, it made far too much sense. Nervously touching down in front of the doors, he flittered inside as they opened at once. Nervous energy keeping him in the air, and hands clutching the scarf around his neck in a death grip, he finally found himself in the main tower, Clockwork looking over at him curiously. “Daniel? What are you doing here so late?” 

“And you call yourself the Master of Time,” Danny humphed, Clockwork only raising his eyebrow as Danny flew to the armchair he usually sat in, curling up tight and twitching every few seconds.

“I do, in fact. It just so happens, however, as a half ghost, you have a...loose grasp, on the timelines, as it were.” At the confused look, Clockwork rolled his eyes with a fond smile. “It means I am unable to see the smaller choices in your life, or the ones made suddenly, and unexpectedly. The same is true of Danielle and Vladimir.” 

“So...does this mean that one day I can finally sneak up on you?” 

“Dare to dream, Daniel.” Hearing nothing but silence, instead of the expected witty comeback, Clockwork worriedly flew over to the teenager, who curled up in the chair even more. “Daniel? Is everything alright?” 

“ I mean...it  _ had  _ to happen, right? If it didn’t, then I might never have met him. If I hadn’t done what I did, then things would have changed, things would have been  _ wrong _ ...but...it hurts. Things like that can’t be changed, or stopped. And Andrew doesn’t even  _ blame  _ me- He completely and absolutely understands- And it’s so  _ frustrating _ . I want someone to be angry at me, I want someone to  _ hate  _ me for what I did - because...because then...maybe I’d be justified in hating myself…” 

“Oh, Daniel…” Danny didn’t fight the hug he was pulled into, and instead gave a small sigh.  

“ When did right and wrong start becoming so hard to tell apart…” 


	26. Easily Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : using knives as weapons, Spectra and emotional manipulation

** Chapter Twenty Six - Easily Forgotten  **

** ::  **

Hearing loud banging from the front doors, Andrew looked up curiously from his book. The only one who visited him regularly was Danny, and Vidya didn’t even bother telling him when he was there anymore. So who… Getting an image of a familiar ghost, Andrew frowned. What was Kitty doing there? 

“ _ Ghostwriter _ ! Open the damn door!” Rolling his eyes, and giving Vidya the go ahead, the doors opened, Andrew flying over to greet her. 

“Yes, threaten the ghost that- Hey! What are you doing?!” 

“No time to explain!” Kitty dragged the ghost out of his lair, ignoring his struggles as she kept talking. “Listen, Ember was throwing that ‘hey summer is almost here’ party, right? Well, we invited Danny, because he needs to get out more, so we dragged him along, but then some of the idiots decided to play a prank on him- For some reason he went crazy, and now- Just come help your mate, goddammit!” 

“Wait- What do you mean? What’s wrong with him- Is he alright?!” Not getting a response, Andrew felt a spike of panic, tapping into his teleportation power and appearing at Ember’s in a flash, Kitty looking dizzy next to him. 

“ How- How did you teleport  _ both  _ of us this far?!” She didn’t get an answer, as the doors were blasted open, Andrew striding in with his aura flaring, which, really, that wouldn’t end well. Walking back in, her hands went to her mouth at seeing half the room was iced over, Danny in the center of it all, hands clutching his head and eyes wide, looking scared and horrified in equal amounts, as well as in his human form, instead of ghost. 

“ _ What. Happened. _ ”  At the harsh tone, the other ghosts shared looks and floated back, eyes all traveling to where Skulker and Vortex were, covered in ice and looking worse for wear. Immediately, faster than any of them could see, multiple knives went soaring towards the two, Skulker just barely dodging, as Vortex sent a blast of wind to knock them off course. 

“Hey! Watch it-” 

“ Now, now, no need to make things worse for yourself.” At the familiar cooing voice, Andrew turned red eyes to Spectra, who was hovering near Danny. “Skulker and Vortex just played a little prank on our cute halfa here...just a small... _ shock _ .” Oh...oh, no… “Of course, I might have  _ suggested  _ what prank to use, but really, semantics!” 

“ Do you  _ really  _ understand what it is you’re dealing with here?” Andrew asked quietly, most ghosts fleeing the scene, and those that stayed huddled together on the opposite side of the room. They knew not to mess with a ghost who’s mate had been hurt or threatened, but this was...something else. “You seemed to know of my old name, so tell me, Spectra...do you  _ really  _ know?” 

“ Oh, I think I have a good idea,” Spectra purred, shadowed form lazily drifting closer to the shivering halfa. “So much death and destruction in your life… Should we tell our  _ friends  _ here about your past? Well, what do you think, Ghostwriter?” 

“ I think you would be better off learning when to  _ stop _ ,” Andrew snarled, Spectra wincing at the knife that moved too fast for her too dodge, sinking into the place where her heart had once been. “The next one goes in your  _ core _ .” 

“ My, my...don’t you know all good relationships require a little honesty?” Spectra sighed, jerking the knife out and letting it clatter to the floor, soaked in ectoplasm. “You don’t even feel bad for everything you’ve done, do you? Don’t bother answering, I can  _ sense  _ what you’re feeling, remember? So many dark emotions...and yet not one  _ ounce  _ of regret.” 

“I’m certainly regretting letting you slither off after our last meeting,” Andrew muttered, the two ghosts now circling each other, another knife in Andrew’s hand as he stopped to stand protectively in front of Danny, who was watching them in terror. 

“ Now, now. No need to be rude,” Spectra scolded, hand moving to prop up her chin, as if she was listening to a complaining friend. “You know, dear, you could do with having someone to tell your problems to. All the things you keep bottled up, why, it can’t be good for you! You haven’t even told your  _ mate  _ your past, have you? What’s the matter, don’t trust him to not run off?” As soon as the question was out, Spectra realized she had gone too far, gasping as she was shoved against the wall, knife pressed to her neck and keeping her pinned. 

“ Slicing your  _ head  _ off may not destroy you, but it’ll certainly  _ sting _ , don’t you agree?” Seeing the ghost struggle, Andrew pressed the knife closer, grinning as Spectra stilled, as if sensing just how much danger she was in. “You may know bits of my past, but I wonder...do you know the  _ whole  _ story. You’re right, you see, I don’t feel regret… Not for anything that happened in that life. 

“I made a vow, when I came here, Spectra… A vow I think you can guess...but I’m certainly willing to break it now…” The knife pressed closer, the shadowed ghost hissing at the sharp stinging sensation. 

“ Uh, Ghostwriter, dude? Don’t you think you’re going a bit far?” Johnny hesitantly asked, nervously standing in front of Kitty, Shadow shifting underneath him, as if sensing the danger. “I mean, the lil cuz isn’t hurt, and no one’s the worse for wear, so, uh, it’s all good, right?” Considering the ghost hadn’t even  _ acknowledged  _ him, and still had burning red eyes, he figured his words had been ignored. 

“ Are you  _ really  _ going to kill me?” Spectra asked, a twisted look of glee on her face. “I mean, what would be the point? Killing me won’t bury the past you’re so  _ desperate  _ to hide. The past that you try  _ so hard  _ to keep from  _ him _ . Kill me, Ghostwriter, and what’s accomplished? Another few years of your secret being hidden? Is going back on your  _ vow  _ worth it?” 

“To keep him safe...I would gladly become that demon once more,” Andrew growled, spinning his knife in his hand to where the blade was tilted down, right over Spectra’s core. The whole room seemed to be holding it’s breath, waiting for the blow that was about to come...but didn’t. 

“Mon ange.” Small, tired, and completely human Danny Fenton was tugging on the ghost’s sleeve, not one ounce of fear to be seen. “I want to go home.” 

Spectra fell to the floor and winced as she was suddenly let go, looking up in shock to see the Ghostwriter slipping his knives into his pocket, eyes back to their usual green as he looked to Danny with a happy smile. “Of course, mon cher! I rather believe this party was over, anyways.” 

“Gee, I wonder who’s fault that was,” Danny rolled his eyes, not fighting back as Andrew scooped him into his arms and began flying to the door. 

“So says the one who iced over the room.” Danny stuck his tongue out at the ghost, pausing to send a wave back to the others, who were still frozen in shock. 

“Bye, guys! Don’t forget to come to the store on Monday, Ember, we’re getting new records in!” Settling down in his mate’s arms, he looked to Andrew in amusement. “So, am I being kidnapped? Because that was a pretty dramatic rescue there.” 

“I suppose I learned how to be dramatic from you,” the ghost shrugged, smiling at Danny’s pout. “I truly am kidnapping you, however.” 

“Perfectly okay with that,” Danny grinned, letting his eyes close as he snuggled up to the other. No matter what had happened...he was safe with Andrew. Of that he was absolutely certain. “Where are you gonna lock me away? Highest room in the tallest tower?” He wasn’t sure which was the more amusing daydream, Andrew as his knight in shining armor, or Andrew as his ferocious dragon guard. He at least had the wicked sharp teeth for the dragon.

“As amusing as that sounds...I was more inclined to to keep you locked away in the Alexandria Archives.” That...that was evil. “Vidya managed to find them, as well as the section on Astronomy.” Now the ghost was just being cruel. 

“ I mean, if you’re  _ trying  _ to earn my unending and eternal love and devotion, you already did, but I mean, this certainly doesn’t hurt.” 

“Mhm. Of course, first you have to finish your homework, as well as your studying for finals.” Hearing the dramatic and pained sigh, Andrew rolled his eyes in amusement. 

“ Now, see, that’s just you being cruel.” He found he couldn’t really stay angry at the gentle and warm kiss he was given, something that had become familiar faster than he had realized. “Okay, so, not  _ completely  _ cruel.” 

Flying in silence, Danny finally asked the question that was on his mind, gaze on his scarf, “So, um, just curious, but...where did you learn to use knives like that? And follow up question...what was all that with Spectra back there? I mean...kind of intense.” 

“That…” The ghost fell silent for a few moments, Danny glancing up to see Andrew giving him a small, broken smile. “That is something I will be hiding for a while longer, mon cher.” 

“...Okay. I know you’ll tell me if it’s something I need to know,” Danny shrugged, snuggling back into Andrew’s chest. “I trust you.” 

“...Merci, mon cher.” 

::

“ Studying is awful- Did you know it’s a contraction of  _ student  _ and  _ dying _ . I mean, that’s how bad it is. Can’t we just...can’t we just bury these books? Like, shovel, and midnight, and bury them behind the school. No one will ever be the wiser!” 

“ Please stop trying to destroy your textbooks.” Andrew was laying across the couch and working on his laptop, with Danny sitting in the floor, low coffee table pulled up to him as his desk. “They cost money to replace, and the school  _ will  _ bill you.” 

“Worth it,” Danny grumbled, twitching his nose to push his glasses further up his face without having to touch them. He probably looked ridiculous, since he heard a muffled snort from his mate. “Aaannndddrrrreeewww. This is booorrriiinnngg!” 

“Something I am unable to fix.” Danny groaned again, finally stopping as he felt the gentle tugs to his hair. “Try switching to another subject.” 

“ But I’m on Math, and, like, that’s the only thing I’m  _ good  _ at.” At the raised eyebrow he was given, Danny rolled his eyes. “Only thing I’m good at without applying myself in large quantities.” 

“Drink more coffee and power through it.” 

“ Says the dead college student.” That earned him a flick to the back of his head, Danny sighing as he went back to staring at the textbook he was meant to be studying. It wasn’t just where the content was boring, very boring, but it was that it was so  _ peaceful _ . 

He was happily content in his human form, Andrew behind him and working, a steady rhythm of typing filling the air, as well as the scent of the multiple candles that burned throughout the lair. His mate was a hair’s breadth away, coat off for once and on the back of the couch, and Vidya was playing constant lullabies in his head. It was peaceful and relaxing, and about as close to perfect as he was ever going to get in  _ his  _ lifetime. 

“You know, Vidya, the song thing- It’s...it’s not helping in me concentrating. More like making me want to pass out and never again awake to the world.” Andrew flicked him in his head again as Vidya trilled out tumbling notes, like laughter made to be played on a violin. “See, Vidya gets my humor.” 

“ Dark, depressing, and self-depreciating. Makes sense.” A slow, mournful tune of a sad violin met their ears, Andrew giving out a sigh as Danny choked back a laugh. “Vidya, stop encouraging him, Danny, stop encouraging  _ her _ .” 

“To be fair, she started it,” Danny put in, wincing at the screeching notes that met his ears. “Ow! Jeez, when did you get so chatty, anyways?” At once, the opening notes to ‘Girl on Fire’ began to play, both ghost and human freezing in shock. Danny was the first to crack, letting out an ungodly snort of laughter, hands flying to cover his mouth. 

“ Oh,  _ please  _ tell me you’re joking.” The song switched to ‘Ring of Fire’, Danny laughing even harder as he clutched his stomach in pain, Andrew resisting the urge to throw something. “You couldn’t keep singing lullabies. No, you had to go and break him. Any other clever and sarcastic remarks you would like to let out?” ‘In the Arms of an Angel’ began playing, Andrew groaning as Danny laughed even harder, trying to work on calming himself down. “Are you both quite done?” 

“I’m- I’m good. Yeah. Totally. I’m so good.” ‘Kiss the Girl’ started playing, Danny once again letting out a snort as Andrew gave up hope of any work getting done for the rest of the day. He couldn’t find it in himself to be upset, however, since Danny was once again acting like the cheerful and bubbly teen he was. 

“ Hopeless.” Even as he said it, he knew he wasn’t talking about Danny, either. 


	27. Truth

** Chapter Twenty Seven - Truth  **

** ::  **

Danny had gulped down more than half of his orange juice before he realized it was  _ purple _ . The other three occupants of the kitchen seemed to notice the same, Danny slowly setting his cup down and backing away, “Did...one of you poison my cup? Because...I mean, I kind of don't want to be poisoned? I have a report due today.” 

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, dear,” Maddie spoke with a small smile, expression set in what Danny like to think of as her ‘scientist gaze’. “It’s just a new truth formula your father and I are working on.” 

“ Yeah! This thing is meant to work on ghosts  _ and  _ humans! Still haven’t figured out how to weaponize it, but, we figured we would test it out anyways.” 

“You used an untested chemical mixture on him?!” Jazz almost screamed, immediately rushing to the teen and checking him over, patting his cheeks and the top of his head, looking for any sudden mutations. “Do you know how dangerous that is?! What the hell happened to proper scientific procedure?!” 

“Aw, don’t be that way, Jazzy pants, the formula is perfectly safe!” Jack assured, standing up to pat his kids on the back, not noticing their dual glares. “For example, Danny, when was the last time you cleaned your room?” 

“Never,” Danny snorted, shrugging at Jazz’s look. “Hey, it’s not like I exactly have that much time to clean! First I have to deal with my schoolwork, then I have to deal with all the gh-” 

“Goats! At the animal shelter! On a volunteer program! Truly, Danny, you are such a model example of a student and child. Couldn’t be prouder!” Jazz laughed nervously, holding a hand over the younger’s mouth. “We should be getting to school now! Because- You know- School! Important!” Pausing, Jazz coughed. “Bye.” 

As soon as they were out of the door, Danny was breathing heavy, Jazz dragging him to her car and pushing him inside. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god- Did you hear me back there?! I almost talked about the ghosts! About Phantom! Oh my god, this is terrible- What if it’s doubly effective on me cause I’m half and half- Oh god, I can’t  _ lie _ \- Jazz, I  _ need  _ to be able to lie! What if-” Danny flinched at the hit to the back his head, the teen slowly regaining control over his breathing. “Yeah...yeah, okay. Thanks. I needed that.” 

“ No problem, as for what you’re going to do for today, just do what you do everyday. Blend in, try not to talk to anyone, and for the love of all that is holy,  _ stay away from Valerie _ !” Danny nodded, fidgeting in the seat until they arrived at the school, the teen nervously getting out and shuffling his way over to his friends, looking as scared as a freshman at orientation. 

“Yo, man, what happened to you? Are you okay?” Tucker asked worriedly, surprised at the sudden laugh the other let out. 

“ Okay?!  _ Okay _ ?! My parents just dosed me up with a truth potion! Well, formula, really, but I mean, who does that?! As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, now I can’t  _ lie _ , like, I physically cannot- Ugh! Why would they do this?! As if I wasn’t scared of them enough- No, wait, forget that! Shit, shit, shit, someone shut me up, shut me up right now please I’m begging!” Sam and Tucker, startled as they were, were unable to do anything as Valerie walked up to them, raising an eyebrow at Danny’s jittering and twitching. 

“Why does Fenton just look like he’s had five expressoes and sugar injected into his veins?” 

“I’m actually Danny Phantom and I’m half ghost and I was dosed with a truth potion and-” At once Sam was trying to tackle him, Danny effortlessly dodging her. “Shit, shit, Sam, are you okay?! I’m sooo sorry, it’s just instinct, are you alright do you need help and oh shit I just told you something I didn’t mean to tell you and-” 

“ Fenton,  _ relax _ . I figured this out months ago, after I met Elle. She visits me and keeps me up to date on things.” The trio went silent, Danny blinking from where he was pulling Sam off the ground. “Honestly, it’s not even that  _ hard _ . Do you know how often you run around screaming ‘going ghost’? I’ve had to knock out at least three students at this point.” 

“You know he’s Phantom...and you’re not freaking out?” Tucker asked hesitantly, Valerie only giving an unconcerned shrug. 

“ I figure if he was going to go batshit crazy, he would have done so by now. Besides, he’s alright, when he’s not being an idiot, or-” She was cut off by Danny’s full-body hug, the girl sighing and resisting the urge to reach for an ecto pistol. “Or this...when he’s not doing  _ this _ . There’s this thing, Fenton, and it’s called  _ personal space _ .” 

“Oh, right, sorry,” Danny apologized, immediately letting her go. “I was attention starved and neglected as a child and now make up for it with a multitude of touches and hugs that are not always welcome.” Realizing what he had said, Danny paused, finally giving a long sigh. “This...is going to be such a terrible day.” 

Classes preceded rather normally for them, Danny constantly tapping his pencil in a rhythm that showed just how on edge he was, however. It reached the point where Sam bent over and took the pencil from his hands and snapped it half, handing it back quietly. When he did the same thing with a pen, he found that too was soon snapped in half. 

It eventually turned into a game that lasted all the way into 3rd period, where Sam snapped a highlighter clean in half without even getting ink on her. At that point, Danny figured he was risking his life. A few more minutes and class was out, Danny nervously walking in between his two friends, who looked equally concerned. 

“Dude, are you going to be okay? I mean, this formula or whatever it is has to wear off sometime, right?” Danny nodded hesitantly, looking a little better until he heard a familiar voice. 

“ Hey,  _ Fenturd _ . Guess who just got a D on his history test and is looking to take it out on someone?!” 

“ Oh, well, it can’t be you, since you make straight F’s,” Danny shot back, looking regretful at his choice of wording at once. “Then again, what would you know about being straight, right, Dash? You seem to bully male students an awful lot just for the sake of being mean.” Oh man, it was like  _ word vomit. _ And really, him being picked up by his collar and slammed into a nearby locker wasn’t that surprising. “You and Kwan a little more than friends? Then again, that’s rather insulting. I’m sure Kwan could do  _ much  _ better.” 

“ Says the one who is  _ actually  _ gay,” Dash taunted, a crowd gathering in the halls at this point, Danny knowing that a scene was imminent. He just hoped he could escape without too  _ many  _ of his secrets being revealed. 

“ Yes, yes I am,” Danny grinned, looking unashamed completely as the whispers started breaking out. “I even have a boyfriend, and he’s a college guy, too, which is better than I can say for  _ most  _ of the school’s choices.” 

“Why you little-” 

“Ah, ah, careful there, Dash, don’t want to use words that are too far out of your vocabulary skill set!” Wincing as he was thrown to the floor, Danny picked himself up, brushing off the dirt and dust that had gathered on him. “Wow. Rude.” 

“ You  _ really  _ think you can fight back against me, Fenton?!” 

“ I do, actually,” Danny smiled, hoping that his eyes weren’t turning any different colors because he had  _ really  _ reached his limit at dealing with morons. “You see, usually I’m holding back, and hiding, because, really, that’s all I know how to do! So beat me up and get out whatever aggression you have, there’s nothing you could do to me that could cause me pain I haven’t already felt...pain that can’t even  _ compare  _ to what I’ve felt.” Nervously rubbing his left arm, and realizing the hall was silent, Danny let out a sigh. “I knew it…

“This day is going to end terribly.” 

::

“Yo, lil cuz, how was school?” Johnny and Kitty shared a confused look as they noticed Danny looked up at them with the most pathetic look they had ever seen. “Uh, are you...alright?” 

“I think half the school fears me and the other half hates me...and I might need a hug,” Danny mumbled the last bit pitifully, Kitty immediately sweeping him into a hug while Johnny ruffled his hair like an older sibling would. 

“That bad a day?” 

“ Uuggghh. My parents gave me some weird truth potion, so now I can’t lie, and all sorts of things are coming out, and it just won’t  _ stop _ .” He could  _ feel  _ the look that was shared between them. “Go on. Ask your embarrassing questions. At this point, I have no dignity left to lose.” 

“How do you really feel about us?” 

“I think you guys are great and like older siblings, you know, unlike Jazz, who is more like my mom, which is really great but I never say it because I’m scared of how my real mom will react but, uh, yeah. Siblings.” 

“How okay would you be with us kidnapping you?” 

“I mean, uh, fine, I guess?” Danny half asked, giving a shrug. “It’s not like it’s something I’m not used to. As long as I’m back in time for dinner so Jazz won’t freak out.” Seeing other students starting to come out, and most of them not looking pleased with him, Danny looked panicked. “Now. Kidnap me now. A few of them threatened to string me up the flagpole after school and I don’t want to deal with that. Not again…” 

“Hey, Fenton!” 

“Too late…” Danny nervously looked between Paulina and Kitty, who were now glaring at each other as if they were arch enemies, which, after that hair dye fiasco, they probably were. “Um, hello, Paulina.” 

“ So, I hear you think you’re better than everyone else? Hanging with a  _ gang  _ I can see why you think that now.” 

“I’m not in a gang!” Danny snapped, eyes narrowing. “That was just a huge misunderstanding because Johnny can be a jerk and Kitty goes along with his stupid plans far too often!” 

“Ouch, harsh, lil cuz,” Johnny grinned, leaning across his handlebars as Kitty sat behind him, legs hanging over one side as she refused to stop hugging Danny, still glaring at Paulina. “What am I supposed to tell the Boss now?” 

“Oh my god, you are such a horrible person,” Danny sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “Why do you have- No, you know what, forget it. Paulina, just, no. I mean, why do you feel the need to belittle those under you? Is it because you never felt fulfilled as a child because your money could never buy you true friendship, just people who wanted to use you- Oh goddammit!” 

“ You. Are.  _ Dead _ , Fenton,” Paulina growled, Danny suddenly remember just how sharp her nails were. “Pappi will dismember this little  _ gang  _ of yours in  _ seconds _ , let’s see how high and mighty you think you are then!” Ready to snap back, Danny blinked as his mouth was covered by Kitty, who was grinning viciously. 

“Aw, what’s the matter, Princess, afraid to fight us yourself? Think you might break a nail?” 

Nothing good was going to come of this...Danny could  _ feel  _ it.

::

“Well, someone looks a little pathetic.” Danny, in his ghost form, looked up from his place inside one of the trees at the park. Valerie, in her Red Huntress outfit, was looking a little too amused. “That bad a day? I mean, the fight between that one ghost and Paulina was great.” 

“ Kitty and Johnny don’t know when to stop,” Danny groaned, curling in tighter on himself. “I just wanted to go about my day of anonymity, but no, thanks to my parents, I get  _ this _ .” 

“Well, you didn’t expose your little ghost problem, so it could have always been worse,” Valerie shrugged, retracting her hoverboard and sitting in the tree next to him. “Come on, ghost boy, what’s really got you down? A few fights at school isn’t enough to get to you usually.” 

“Oh, you know, nothing really, just, a few things, ghost things, I guess? It’s kind of hard to explain and-” 

“Tell. Me.” 

“ My body is slowly deteriorating due to all the radiation and stress I was put under and I have a limited lifespan, five or ten years tops, and I don’t know how to tell my parents because a part of me thinks that they won’t even  _ care  _ and if they do they might just dissect me to figure out what’s going on.” It was a minute or two of silence before the other finally spoke. 

“That...is a lot to take in,” Valerie finally mumbled, Danny giving a nod. “I’d ask if you were okay, but judging by today, that’s a rather stupid question.” 

“ Just a bit stupid,” Danny chuckled, sighing as he rubbed at one of his eyes. “I’m trying not to think about it, actually. Thinking about it just leads to stress and sadness - two things of which I  _ do not  _ need more of. At all. Ever.” 

“Jeez, you’re just a bundle of nerves today, aren’t you?” Valerie rolled her eyes at the dramatic whine. “Then why don’t you just go hang out with that mate of yours - yeah, don’t look so surprised, Sam and me were catching up on you today. Just go hang with him, I mean, from what I can tell, you two don’t really keep secrets from each other, so it should be fine.” 

“That...is a great idea.” Floating up, Danny wrapped the girl in a hug, giving a small smile. “Thanks for understanding...about everything…” 

“Yeah, yeah, get out of here, ghost boy.” 

::

When Danny arrived to the library, it was to the sight of Andrew face down in front of his laptop, looking like his world was ending. “Um...Andrew? Are you...alright?” 

“I hate being a writer. I should have become a paralegal like Mother suggested…” Triggering his transformation to human, because, really, being a ghost was taking far too much out of him lately, he headed over to his mate. 

“That was less of an answer and more of a cry for help.” Pulling himself up to sit on the desk, he nudged Andrew’s side with his foot, getting a small twitch. “Writer’s block?” 

“Writer’s block is nonexistent, it’s just an excuse others use to avoid writing responsibility!” Danny nodded, leaning over to pat his mate’s head in understanding. 

“ Must be pretty bad writer’s block then, huh?” He took the groan as an answer in itself. “So, here’s an idea, why don’t we step  _ away  _ from the laptop that is sucking away your soul, and do something else.” Not getting a response, he kicked the other’s chair, grinning as the unexpected rolling of the chair left the older in the floor. “There, see? Better already!” 

“Why must you do these things…” 

“Because I have a twisted sense of humor that comes from facing death multiple times since I was a child and seeing others in minor pain gives me a sadistic twist of joy that I try not to admit to in fear of being seen as slightly evil.” At the silent stare he was given, Danny paused, letting out a deep sigh. “Mom and Dad spiked my juice with a truth formula potion thing this morning. Basically? I can’t lie, and I keep saying too much, instead of just answering the damn question.” 

“ ...And here I thought you were the masochistic type,” Andrew hummed, standing up and brushing himself off. “As least, I assumed so by how much you enjoy our  _ play  _ time.” 

“ Oh, I definitely am masochistic, and I  _ definitely  _ enjoy play time,” Danny smiled, “There’s a reason I don’t really try to stop you and your wicked sharp teeth, after all~ Fully masochistic, with a touch of sadism. It’s a balance that has so far worked rather well for me.” 

“Why do I have the feeling that you’re going to regret saying all of this in the morning?” 

“You know me so well, that’s why,” Danny chuckled, getting off the desk and stretching. “That, and I’m pretty sure this potion is messing with my chemical imbalances, such as endorphins. Makes it to where I can’t worry about things as much as I usually would. So, yeah. There’s that. Also I skipped lunch out of fear of being lynched, do you have anything to eat?” 

“Considering your massive appetite and how often you stay here? Yes, I do.” The two headed to the kitchen, Danny happily heading to the table as Andrew worked on preparing him something to eat. “Dare I ask how much trouble has been caused today?” 

“Oo, so much,” Danny shuddered. “Well, Valerie found out I was Phantom, she had actually know for a while though, so that’s all good! I also terrified half the students in my confrontation with Dash - it didn’t end well for him - and I pissed Paulina off enough for her to try and disband the gang everyone thinks I’m in - also I think Kitty and Johnny are even more protective over me.” 

“ So far, sounds like a rather average day for you,” Andrew chuckled, setting a simple sandwich and dozen apple slices in front of Danny, who happily went to eating. “Although if I could, I would have  _ words  _ with your parents. There’s such a thing as scientific consent for human trials.” 

“Yeaaah, that rule is negated when it comes to them, I think,” Danny shrugged, pausing to take a sip of water. “I mean, I kind of already feared them before, so this kind of set it stone- I mean, who does that to their kids? My biology isn’t exactly normal- This stuff could have killed me for all they knew!” 

“Wait, wait...you’re...scared, of them?” 

“ Well, I mean, yeah, of course I am. I became half  _ ghost _ \- I mean, I told you how I was scared of ghosts, but, I mean, I was scared of  _ myself _ too. Why do you think I started saying ‘going ghost’? It’s stupid, and childish, and something a cartoon character would say! I figured if I turned it into a joke...I wouldn’t be so scared of myself anymore. Of course, that backfired, and I just ended up scared of my parents. Living with constantly hearing that they’re going to tear you apart rather does that- Plus they’re just terrible. Pretty sure we’re less like children to them, and more like little minions.” 

“ Tell me, mon cher, if they were to... _ disappear _ ...how upset would you be?” Danny paused from taking a bite in his sandwich, setting the food down and giving a considering look. 

“ Not that upset, really. Still, a part of me would always feel guilty, and I would blame myself for whatever happened to them. So, you know, arranging for their deaths is probably not the  _ best  _ course of action.” Taking another bite of his food, and then quickly swallowing, Danny gave his mate a strange look, “You know, you make death threats to people who annoy me a  _ lot _ , is that like, just a thing you do? Threaten death to the evil people?” 

“Mm, in a way, I suppose,” Andrew sighed, hand propping his chin up as he glanced to the side, Danny realizing he wasn’t so much as looking at the tiny kitchen, but rather a memory that he might never know of. “Evil, huh…” 

“...Andrew? You okay?” At the hesitant nod, Danny raised an eyebrow. “You sure? I mean, this is the kind of stuff that happens before leading into those cliche yet dramatic confession scenes of secrets and past lives- Although I really like those cliche dramatic scenes...probably more than I should…” 

“Certainly seems like something you would enjoy,” Andrew chuckled, collecting Danny’s now empty plate and setting it in the sink. “Come on, we can wait in one of the offices until whatever it is you drank wears off.” Danny nodded, jumping up to follow after his mate, giving him side glances every so often. “If you’re trying to be sneaky, you’re not succeeding.” 

“ I wouldn’t say I was  _ trying _ ,” Danny mumbled, brushing shoulders with Andrew and walking a little closer. “You’re okay though, right? You’ve been on edge since that mess at the party…” Danny would freely admit he had been a bit out of it at that moment, but he had seen what his mate had almost done to Spectra, what he had been so  _ willing  _ to do. “Anything you need to talk about?” 

“Not...exactly…” Andrew let out a sigh, looking more worn than Danny had ever seen him. “Merely remembering some things of my last life...things I spent a long time trying to forget.” Giving a shake of his head, Andrew gave his mate as best a smile as he could. “I’m fine, little Phantom, just a few nasty memories.” 

“I guess I can empathize with that,” Danny sadly smiled, taking Andrew’s hand and leaning into him more. “If you ever want to talk about it, though, I’m always here to listen… Just like you are for me.” 

“...Merci, mon cher.” 

::

“So, mon cher, what have you learned after your truth fiasco?” 

“Um...don’t drink suspicious beverages?” Danny half asked, laughing at the other’s expression. “I don’t know, I’m pretty sure that’s the lesson.” 

“...Perhaps,” Andrew nodded, rolling his eyes and giving Danny a kiss to stop any more laughter. “And you are now delirious. Go to sleep, Danny.” 

“Nooo, I don’t wanna,” Danny whined, even as he was pulled along to the bedroom, not bothering to put up a fight. “Jazz is expecting me back-” 

“Not with the text you sent saying you were spending the night.” 

“...I sent a text?” 

“ Well...your phone did,” Andrew chuckled, letting a full laugh out at Danny’s whine. “As if you would have left anyways. As soon as you touch down on those steps, it’s a  _ battle  _ getting you to go back to the human world.” Danny sighed dramatically and fell backwards, looking up as Andrew caught him on reflex. 

“ I suppose you’re right...the Ghost Zone is just so  _ dead _ , the human world, however, is just so full of  _ life _ -” He wasn’t able to finish as he was dropped to the floor, giving a grunt at the impact. Looking up to his mate as pathetically as he could, he earned nothing but a shrug. “What? Don’t like my jokes?” 

“They could certainly use more effort,” Andrew hummed, smiling at Danny’s offended look as the teen picked himself up off the ground. 

“ I’ll have you know my humor is  _ great _ !” 

“Why, mon cher, I thought you were telling the truth today!” Andrew laughed at the shove he was given, easily capturing Danny and pinning his arms to his side, the teen’s back pressed against his chest. “Here I thought you were practicing on your speed, too.” 

“You...I...I don’t have words…” Danny shuddered at the light laugh he heard inches away from his ear, warm breath washing over him, and blush erupting on his face. For all the jokes he made, he really was embarrassed when it came to matters such as these. “S-So, um, what was that about bed? The sleeping! The sleeping, that, that kind of bed, um, okay. Yeah. Gonna shut up now.” 

“And you complain when I call you adorable.” Danny huffed as he was pushed onto the bed, kicking his shoes off before settling down and refusing to move. Andrew, after rolling his eyes, phased the blankets out from under him, throwing them over him entirely. “I still need to breath, you know.” 

“Yes, but it’s fun to watch you struggle,” Andrew grinned wickedly, watching as Danny did just that. A minute or so later and the teen’s head popped out near the top, blanket completely wrapped around him and tying his arms and legs down from where he had struggled so much. Wiggling around a second more, the teen let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, it seems the hero is trapped and in my clutches, whatever shall I do?” 

“Find your inner humanity and release said hero?” Danny tried, giving a hopeful smile that fell away with a squeak when he felt his side poked. 

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” Danny gave a rather impressive whine, which changed to startled laughter when he felt his sides mercilessly tickled. It was a few minutes of ruthless attacks before Andrew finally gave him time to breath, the teen’s entire face a bright red. “Now, torturing the hero, that’s much more fun.” 

“Y-You’re s-so...so evil!” Danny panted out, grin still on his face. “A truly wicked villain, of which there is no hope for!” 

“Mm, I suppose so,” Andrew smiled, Danny noticing there was a tinge of sadness to it, sadness and lurking fears. Growing determined, he wiggled out of his blanket prison, finally just phasing his arms out, before reaching up and grabbing his mate, jerking him down onto the bed with him. Suppressing a laugh at the other’s startled and confused expression, Danny snuggled up to him closely, arms wrapped around his neck and preventing him from escape. 

“So, Mister Doom and Gloom, what was that earlier about being okay?” Feeling the denial that was about to come, Danny pulled back enough to cut the words off with a soft kiss. “Hey, I know just what fears and sadness look like...and you, mon ange, are nowhere near as good at hiding it around others as I am.” 

“And you, mon cher, are nowhere near as good as you like to think you are.” Danny huffed at that, trying to fight back the smile that wanted to appear at the kiss to the tip of his nose. “As I said earlier, I’m fine-” 

“ Yeah, but fine’s not really a feeling, is it?” Danny quietly asked, tucking himself under his mate’s head, fingers curling into the other’s shirt. “Happy, sad, emotional, depressed, contemplative-  _ Those  _ are feelings…” 

“People say they’re fine all the time, Danny.” 

“ Yeah...they say that.” Feeling the sigh that ruffled his hair, Danny let out his own. “You don’t have to tell me what’s causing you to feel bad...but I’d like it if you told me when you  _ do  _ feel bad.” 

“I suppose,” Andrew gave a small smile, pressing another kiss to the top of Danny’s head. “Only if you promise to do the same, however.” Danny grinned at that, giving a nod. 

“Deal. So, then, Andrew, my dear, precious mate who I can’t live without!” Pausing to give a smile at the laugh he heard, Danny continued. “How are you feeling?” 

“ ...Scared.” 


	28. Priest of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : using knives as weapons, mentions to murder/homicide, mentions to past deaths

** Chapter Twenty Eight - Priest of Death  **

** ::  **

"Wait- Scared?" Pulling back to look at his mate's expression, Danny shook his head, growing confused. "What would  _ you  _ be scared of?"

“I’m scared...that you’ll be afraid, if you learn the truth.” Danny shook his head again, even further confused. 

“The truth about what? And why would I be scared?” Not getting an answer, Danny frowned, nudging the other to try and get his attention. “Andrew...are you okay? I mean, I get the feeling you’re about to tell me something pretty serious-” 

“That’s just the thing, mon cher, it’s not something I can tell you.” Feeling fingertips settle on his temples, Danny’s eyes widened as he felt the spark of power that went into him. “It’s something I can only show you…” 

A flash of darkness, as well as the feeling of weightlessness that was by now far too familiar, and Danny looked to see he was standing...in an alleyway? It was night, from what he could see, and the only real light was the street lamps, thick and heavy clouds covering the stars and moon. A former rain storm had drenched the city, leaving the streets glistening and slick, and the sound of dripping water echoed down the streets every few seconds. 

There was an overwhelming scent of something he could only place as the city, the smell of car fumes, of windows open to houses, of the rain itself. It was overwhelming, almost, to go from his mate’s bedroom, to something like this. “Hey, uh, Andrew...where are we?” 

“ Bending reality is only the  _ beginning  _ of my powers, mon cher~” Hearing the voice of his mate, Danny jerked his head around, seeing Andrew standing at the end of the alleyway, wide grin on his face. “I can also show you my memories! I’ve never actually tried this, so I’m rather amazed it worked!” 

“Your...memories?” Cautiously walking towards his mate, Danny looked around again, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. Something he wanted to show Danny...that he thought he would be afraid of? Something from his memories...

“Mhm, this is from the time I was your age, I believe,” Andrew laughed, still far too cheerful for the dismal scene around them. Feeling his hand grabbed, Danny blinked as he was pulled away from the alleyway he had arrived in to another one a block or so down. 

“And, uh, what exactly is it you wanted to show me?” Danny nervously asked, feeling that overwhelming sense of dread grow and grow. 

“ You never even  _ thought  _ to ask, did you?” Andrew asked, eyes half lidded and smile wicked as he pulled Danny closer, fingers moving to tilt his chin up. “All these months, and you never thought to ask why my power is so strong. Why I can fight the way I do. Why I could kill any ghost or human I wanted...without any use of my powers…” 

“Andrew?” Danny flinched as he was spun around, gaze landing on an alleyway that held a middle-aged man, panting heavily and looking behind him as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. The glint of metal was all Danny saw before the man fell forward, three knives in his back, utterly and completely dead. A second later and a teen jumped down from the fire escape that was attached to the building. 

Danny didn’t need to hear his mate, to know who it was. 

“Things were quite interesting, back then! Missions almost every night, targets that encompassed half the world! Never a moment of boredom!” The teenage Andrew, unable to see them, who were from a different time, casually and indifferently removed his knives, sparing not even a glance to the deceased man. 

“You…” Unable to finish, Danny looked to his mate, eyes wide. 

“Was an assassin,” Andrew smiled, arms clasped behind his back as he glanced to his younger self. “A rather good one, too. I was known as the Priest of Death- A rather frivolous name, but I suppose I grew attached to it.” Danny blinked as Andrew was once again grabbing his hand, pulling him into a twirl, and smiling widely. “You once told me of your future, yes?” Danny only nodded, memories flashing to the future he had fought so hard to change. “You see, mon cher, your future...was my past.” 

The memory around them switched, a sunny scene where a small seven year old peeked out of the corner of a building, eyes on a wealthy looking woman, and a knife clasped in his hand. “The bell chimes one, the battle’s begun.” Another memory, of a rainy day, green eyes locked on the sight of two small children playing. “The bell chimes two, he’ll catch you too.” 

A family of four walking down the street, not seeing the knives that went flying towards them. “The bell chimes three, it’s still a mystery.” A warehouse plotting the death of those in power. A warehouse of men who never left alive. “The bell chimes four, he’s lurking at your door.” Deep in the sewer, where someone fled, not knowing the knife slash to their arm carried the most deadliest of poisons. Not seeing the small child that waited ahead, shining silver knife in hand. “The bell chimes five, you won’t be alive.” 

An entire  _ village _ , sealed off and desperate to escape, but not seeing the fires that had already started. A village made of wood was so easy to burn, after all. “The bell chimes six, a new victim he picks.” A luxury train never knowing that their conductor’s neck had been slashed, and the brakes disabled, their speed increasing and increasing and increasing. “The bell chimes seven, he brings you to heaven.” 

A young adult, arguing with men who had controlled him his entire life, knife in hand before he realized, thrown before he could stop it. The arguing stopped, and the laughing began. “The bell chimes eight, already too late.” Hundreds in the chase. Hundreds failing. Hundreds dying. “The bell chimes nine, you’re out of time.” Nothing but a twisted grin, shining eyes, and glittering knives. Nothing but a hell disguised as heaven. 

“The bell chimes ten, the Priest rises again.” 

Danny watched everything, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to form a response to what he was being shown. “You see, mon cher, why I had to show you? How could one ever explain in words all that I’ve done…” The two were in a new memory, in a library that they both knew, watching a tired adult study for finals. “The night that you appeared, why, I thought it was hell finally come to collect it’s lost child- It’s very own Priest! In a way, I suppose it was… My sweet angel, come to cast away the false prophet who had slaughtered  _ thousands _ .” 

The memory played on, Danny watching as a version of himself appeared, the once assassin looking up from where he was collecting books, confused for a second, but slowly smiling.  “ _ Kids aren’t allowed in the college library, you know.”  _ Feeling Andrew’s hand rest on his cheek and tilt his head back towards him, he blinked at the look he was given. “So, mon cher, there’s really only one question to ask at this point… Scared?” 

The answer was instantaneous, not a second of pause, or moment of thought. 

“Never.” Seeing the look, Danny slowly smiled himself. “You were never scared of my future, why would I ever be scared of your past?” 

“Because that future was something that never came to fruition, while my past is one set in stone...there is no changing what I did.” Danny shrugged, moving to wrap his arms around his mate and pull him closer. 

“So? Doesn’t change how I feel about you, or how safe I feel with you. Even after all you’ve shown me...I still feel utterly and completely safe with you. Like I said, with you, I don’t have to be the hero...I don’t have to be the one who sacrifices everything to save the day.” 

“I don’t regret what I did, Danny… Not any of it. If I had a chance to change how my life unfolded, I don’t even think I would be bothered. My past may be one I try to forget...but it’s not one I regret.” Danny hugged the other tighter, smile still on his face. 

“I’m not asking you to. I’m just happy you trusted me enough to share.”

Memories of the past.

Nightmares of the future.

Both kept close.

Both forgiven.


	29. In Laws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : guns, mentions of using guns to kill, background character death, reference/joke of kidnapping, reference to death through poison

** Chapter Twenty Nine - In Laws **

 

** ::  **

 

Danny slowly stirred awake, eyes fluttering open and taking in the muted gray colors of the room he was in. Remembering last night, and seeing his mate was nowhere in sight, Danny rolled his eyes and mentally prodded Vidya. Feeling the small tug, he let out a sigh. “You can’t just get him for me. No. I have to actually wake up.” The tug grew, Danny giving a whine as he rolled off the bed, not bothering to put the blankets back. He was cold, and the blankets were warm. 

 

“Alright, Vidya, lead the way.” Following the tugs and mental images, Danny eventually stopped in front of an unassuming door, nudging it open with his foot, and wrinkling his nose at the sudden urge to sneeze, which he quickly did. 

 

“As always, mon cher, your kitten sneezes are adorable.” Huffing, and sneezing again, Danny walked into the room, heading for the nearest couch. 

 

“ I wouldn’t sneeze if you actually  _ dusted  _ these rooms,” Danny complained, eyes catching sight of the grand piano in the corner of the room, where Andrew was working on the wires and strings. “You...have a piano?” 

 

“Hm, yes. I haven’t played it in quite a while, of course, which is why it looks to be so out of tune… If I can just…” Eyeing the couch, and all the layers of dust, Danny decided he would be safer off sitting on the piano bench, which was at least rather large. 

 

“Ooh, yeah! You said you played piano.” Settling down on the bench, and wrapping the blanket closer around him, he looked to his mate, who had shed his coat in an effort to not let it get tangled up in the wires. “Are you wearing a black tank top? And...jeans...” 

 

“ _ Apparently _ , someone thought it would be amusing to hide all of my usual clothing,” Andrew huffed, sending a glare to the ceiling. “She seems to think black is a much better color on me.” 

 

“I...I kind of have to agree with Vidya,” Danny quietly mumbled, Andrew giving him a raised eyebrow. “She… I think she’s punishing me. This has to be punishment.” At the trilling notes of amusement and care, Danny took that to mean it was a gift. “Vidya...you are the best lair, and I love you dearly.” 

 

“You two worry me deeply,” Andrew sighed, going back to working on the piano, Danny only shrugging and deciding to enjoy the view. He found he was rather shameless around his mate, not that he minded. 

 

“Désolé, mon ange, but this is an opportunity I am very much going to enjoy.” Andrew only shook his head again, Danny watching him work in silence for a few more minutes. “So, any reason you decided today of all days to play the piano again?” 

 

“I was feeling nostalgic, I suppose,” Andrew sighed, tapping a few keys, and frowning at the tone. “Playing usually reminds me of…” 

 

“The whole Priest of Death thing?” At the tense nod, Danny rolled his eyes. “If you go the whole blaming yourself for telling me route, I will get very annoyed with you.” At the look he was given, Danny shrugged. “I told you, I don’t care what you did in your past life- Well, no, I do care, but not in a bad way, you know? More that I understand your last life was a complicated one, and you would rather forget it, but I’m very grateful you shared, and I hold nothing against you or your actions.” 

 

“How did you almost fail English…” 

 

“Missed homework,” Danny grinned, pulling the blanket around himself even more. “I can blame the ghosts for that one- And I mean, look at it this way, at least you had a cooler name than I did!” Andrew paused, finally giving his mate a confused look. “Priest of Death? That sounds really cool. Phantom? Kid playing pretend, really.” 

 

“Your priorities worry me sometimes, mon cher,” Andrew sighed after a moment’s pause, playing a few keys again, happy with the sound they produced. 

 

“ _ Everything  _ worries you, you big worrywart,” Danny chuckled, leaning into Andrew’s side as soon as he sat down. “So, are you gonna play some piano for me?” 

 

“You’ll force me to play anyways, might as well get it over with,” Andrew mock huffed, quickly playing through a familiar song one might have heard when growing up. Danny listened in quiet contentment, eyes half closed as Vidya picked up the tune a moment later. 

 

“ Where did you learn to play, anyways?” Danny asked in a lull of the song, choking on a laugh as the song transitioned into the Ghostbusters theme song. “And you call  _ me  _ a dork.” 

 

“Mm. Mother taught Randy and I when we were younger, although he was rather bored with the lessons. It’s a good way to relax, if nothing else. I suppose...I forgot how long it’s been since I last played.” The song switched again into a beautiful and mournful lullaby, Vidya accompanying the notes with perfect precision. Danny could have eagerly sat and listened for hours, although he found it was over far sooner than he would have liked. “Are...are you shivering?” 

 

“Um...yes?” Danny half asked, shivering even more at the hand that was placed against his forehead. “Why? I mean, it’s the Ghost Zone, it’s always cold here.” 

 

“ Yes, but you never  _ feel  _ that cold. You have an ice core, Danny, you shouldn’t be shivering like this unless exposed to extreme temperatures.” Seeing where it was heading, Danny gave his mate a glare, who only grinned. “Like staying in a tundra. For 30 hours-” 

 

“Oh, you just won’t let that one go, will you?!” 

 

“Never. Now, come on, let’s get you back to the human world. Maybe you’ve just been here too long.” Danny sighed as Andrew pulled the cover over the keys before standing up and tugging Danny along, who was clinging to his blanket until it was taken away from him. 

 

“Fine, fine.” He had been in the Ghost Zone longer, and had never felt the effects, but he had a feeling he knew why it was getting worse. 

 

It was a theory he didn’t feel like sharing. 

::

“ Dude, it’s the  _ last day  _ of school. You can’t look happier?” Danny looked up from the book he was reading in gym class, which the coach had given up hope on, seeing as it was the last day of the school year. “Come on. At least smile.” Danny blinked, slowly looking back down to his book instead. “See. Your boyfriend has corrupted you. You’re an even worse bookworm than before! You even have glasses!” 

“Oh no, what a truly terrible development. He must be very evil, if he’s corrupted me to be well read and educated,” Danny mock gasped, flinching as Sam reached over and smacked the back of his head. “What? Too much?” 

“Considering you sound like him? Yeah, a bit.” Danny only shrugged, settling down further in the indent of the bleachers, only looking up again when Valerie came over from where she had decimated the others in an impromptu volleyball match. 

“You may now thank me. I just knocked Dash and Kwan unconscious in that last match, after hearing they were going to ‘visit’ you after school was over.” Valerie took a set next to Danny, fist bumping Sam as she passed. “Unconsciousness rather suits them, I think. And Paulina is really loving the drama over there.” 

“Truly, you are a mighty warrior,” Danny chuckled, pulling his reading glasses off to clean them with the edge of his jacket sleeve. “Sadly, my hand is already taken by my knight in shining glasses.” 

“Uh huh, consider it a good dead,” Valerie snorted, using her foot to nudge Danny’s book up. “What have you been reading this whole time, anyways?” 

“...nothing,” Danny mumbled, trying to force the book down, only for Sam to jerk it back up. 

“ Seriously?! Danny, you’ve read this book  _ how many times _ ?” Danny hugged the book titled ‘The Ticking Hands’ closer, looking defensive. 

“ Like...this week? Or in total?” Sam rolled her eyes, Danny giving a helpless shrug. “He’s a really,  _ really  _ good writer, okay! Just. Subject change. Anything. Please.” 

“ Okay, why are wearing a jacket in this weather?” Tucker asked, looking up from his laptop where he had been working on coding for a new Fenton Thermos. “I mean, dude, it’s almost seventy degrees. You should  _ not  _ be wearing that jacket.” 

“I dunno, just kind of cold,” Danny shrugged, raising an eyebrow as Sam picked at the jacket, eyes narrowed in contemplation. “Oh, please, enlighten me with your theory of doom.” 

“No, no. Just, last time you were this cold in hot weather, we had to deal with you getting ice powers. They haven’t been acting up, have they?” Danny shrugged, snuggling down further in his jacket. 

“Not that I know of? Just...it’s cold. That’s it. Maybe I’m getting sick or something.” At the look he was given, the teen let out a sigh. “Yeah, yeah, I know...things are never that easy for me.” Hearing the bell for lunch, the group began to gather their things, Danny waving his friends off. “Go ahead, I think I dropped a notebook under the bleachers or something. I’ll catch up later.” 

Waiting until they were out of sight, Danny let out a sigh, a tinge of visible chill to it. “Seriously? There’s a truce for a reason, after all!” 

“ Oo, you  _ are  _ smart! That’s good!” Danny frowned at the unfamiliar voice, turning around to see someone he had only seen in a photo. “I was hoping my little brother had gotten with someone smart!” 

“You’re...Randy?” The man rather looked like his mate, only taller and with white hair, and eyes that shined blue, instead of green. The outfit was also extremely different from something his mate might wear, more of a post apocalyptic style, than anything. The two guns strapped to either side of his hips made him raise an eyebrow, too. “Let me guess, your assassin weapon was guns?” 

“ He told you that too?! Damn, he must really love you,” Randy laughed, throwing an arm around Danny and pulling him into a half hug, the human too confused to really fight back. “Anyways, I’ve been off on...matters, for a while, and thought I’d drop back in the area. Imagine my surprise when I find my antisocial little brother has a  _ mate _ ! Well, as a concerned older brother, I just had to check on things!” 

“Is this going to be a shovel talk?” Danny asked curiously, rather amused by the man’s nature. He was starting to see why Andrew had hoped he never met the man. “Because I’m kind of curious of what you’ll threaten to do to me, now.” 

“Oh, you know, shoot you with my guns and then rip your core out if you ever hurt my baby brother. Things like that,” Randy shrugged, waving a hand in a noncommittal manner. “Honestly, though, if anyone’s gonna fuck things up, it’s probably going to be him. He never really thinks good things last, and all that. It’s kind of- ...You’re...wearing the scarf.” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Danny looked down to the scarf he wore almost religiously, nervously tugging it tighter around his neck. “Andrew gave it to me, a while back.” And if it had the added addition of covering his bruised neck 24/7, well, that was his and Andrew’s secret. 

“He...gave you...the scarf…” 

“Did...are you broken?” Danny asked worriedly, waving his hand in front of the stunned ghost’s face. “Please don’t be broken, I don’t know what to do with a broken ghost who is also a protective older brother.” Feeling two hands clap down on his shoulders, he looked confused. 

“ Let me get this straight.” Oo, resist the pun, Danny. “He  _ gave you his scarf _ , of his own free will, and let you keep it?” Danny nervously nodded, Randy looking even more stunned. “Holy shit, dude, what the hell?! Did you use black magic on him?!” 

“Uh...no? Why?” 

“ Last time I tried to take that scarf from him I had a knife in my  _ stomach _ .” Noticing Danny’s lack of a horrified expression, Randy raised an eyebrow. “I tell you my brother stabbed me and you have no reaction? Really?” 

“Honestly? You seem a bit like a dick, so, you know. Whatever. Plus, I mean, you probably lived through that...probably.” At the look he was given, Danny shrugged again. 

“...This requires further investigation,” Randy hummed, grabbing the teen by his jacket and tugging him away, Danny sighing at seeing it was in the opposite direction of where the lunchroom was, and in fact towards one of the exit doors. “I’m not finishing the rest of this school day, am I?” 

“Nope! Nothing important happens on the last day anyways,” Randy laughed, not breaking his stride, even as Danny attempted to struggle free. 

“ You know, this may seem like a pretty amazing concept, but I _ am  _ half human. I still need to eat every now and then.” Catching the bag of chips that was tossed back at him, Danny shrugged and popped them open. “These weren’t obtained legally, were they?” 

“Depends on your definition of legal. Does phasing through a snack machine count? Probably not. Do I care? Of course not!” The two were now out the doors, Randy breathing in a deep breath of fresh air. “Now! Let’s do some bonding and cause hell for some poor, unsuspecting bastards!” 

“...Kind of starting to like you.” 

::

Andrew, in his human illusion, raised an eyebrow at seeing that Danny’s friends were out of the school, but there was no Danny. Sam, at least, caught sight of him, and looked just as confused as he did. “What? You and Danny wanted to check on us?” 

“...Huh?” Not his most articulate answer, but he figured it got the point across. 

“Danny...he...isn’t with you, is he?” At the head shake, Sam sighed and dragged a hand down her face. “We haven’t seen him since the end of gym, thought he ditched school to go hang with you.” 

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday,” Andrew sighed, already wondering where the halfa could have gotten to. He was saved the trouble by the sight of a speeding Guys-in-White van driving past, Sam and Andrew sharing a look. “I have a feeling we at least know where to look.” 

“Definitely. Alright, come on, nerd boy, we’re going to find your mate.” Andrew frowned as he pulled away by his coat towards a rather sleek car, Tucker already waiting by the side of it. “Environmentally friendly, not so legally obtained, and gets up to 120mph. Heh.” 

“ I am rather fearing for my life...and I’m  _ dead _ \- How long...have you had a license?” As far as he knew, the girl was  _ only  _ sixteen. Even if she  _ had  _ a license, it couldn’t have been for long. 

“ Long enough!” Thrown in the back of the car, they immediately spun out of the parking lot, chasing after the GiW van that had drove past minutes ago. Arriving at the park, Andrew was phasing out of the car and making a silent vow to never let himself be driven by Sam again.  _ Ever _ . 

“ Yo! Little bro! How ya doin’?!” Oh god no, please. Not  _ him _ . Looking up, he saw none other than his brother, waving cheerily as he fired his guns at the Guys-in-White hunters that were shooting at them from the ground. He noticed Danny hovering a few feet away, also waving. 

“ Is this atonement for my sins?” Andrew half-asked, wondering if it was too late to disappear. “I can freely admit I was a terrible person, but is this truly my retribution...an eternity of dealing with  _ you _ ?” 

“Aw, don’t be that way, bro!” Randy laughed, shooting enough to leave the hunters scrambling to hide behind their van, the ghost then grabbing Danny and teleporting to Andrew’s side, smiling widely. “Just thought I’d spend a little bonding time with your mate! He’s pretty awesome, so, you know, you’re keeping him. If you don’t, I’ll shoot you with my guns. Again.” 

“Like you could even land a hit,” Andrew snorted, half smiling as he was tackle hugged by his mate. “And please resist the urge to kidnap him again.” 

“ I was curious about him! How else am I supposed to learn about people?  _ Talk to them _ ? Ugh, barbaric. Kidnapping is the only way to go!” 

“This...this is why you were poisoned, brother. Right here.” Seeing the hunters were gathering themselves together again, and about to come out from behind the van they were hiding behind, Andrew sighed and dropped his illusion, Randy grinning in amusement. 

“ What? You gonna join the fight? Now this I have to see. When was the last time you even  _ picked up _ a knife?” Randy winced at the sharp stinging sensation to his side, moving to pull out a wicked sharp knife. “Okay. I was wrong, then.” 

“Told you, dick,” Danny snickered, smiling innocently at Randy’s look. “I told you it was probably because you were being a dick. I was right.” 

“...Like I said, we’re keeping the kid.” Andrew only sighed and hopped up to stand on the top of Sam’s car, Randy joining him a split second later. “So, neutralize or disable? I mean, killing them would be kind of fun. Save the ghosts a bunch of trouble, too.” 

“Why must you be so bloodthirsty?” 

“Hey! You dent my car, you pay me for it!” Sam shouted, Danny changing back into his human form and tugging Sam away, reassuring her as best he could. Tucker was only recording the fight with his pda glasses, curious as to how the new ghost fought. 

“Aw, come on, frérot, lighten up!” Randy sighed, pulling his guns out and briefly checking them over. “When was the last time we spent any time together?!” 

“Right before you were poisoned, I think,” Andrew hummed. “Twenty years of peace and silence, shattered in a moment. Devastating, truly.” Feeling the arm slung around his shoulders, Andrew gave a long sigh that spoke of years of suffering.  

“Aw, come on, I visited you that one Truce party-” 

“ We swore to  _ never  _ speak of that again,” Andrew growled, eyes flashing red. 

“ Oo, no, speak of it! The mate wants to hear of this party!” Danny called, Andrew giving another sigh as Randy grinned. “By the way, they’re about to fire. And I mean, mon ange, come on, it can’t be worse than the  _ last  _ Truce party you were at.” 

“ Aw, he calls you angel,” Randy cooed, laughing as he was pushed off the car, firing a shot off towards one of the hunters as he fell. It landed perfectly, blasting the gun out of the man’s hand. “Yo, petit mec, you  _ have  _ to tell me what happened. Please?” 

“Don’t tell him what happened,” Andrew snapped, throwing a knife at the next hunter, expertly hitting him in the leg to where he fell to the ground. “He doesn’t even know about my powers-” 

“He doesn’t know you can change and control reality?” At the silence and light glare he was given, the teen chuckled nervously. “I didn’t think that one through…” 

“ _ You can change reality?! What the fuck man?! _ ”  Andrew sighed as more angry French filled his ears, throwing another knife towards his brother lazily, one that was shot away. Danny, already thinking of ways to apologize to his mate, became distracted by noticing just what was  _ in  _ the Guys-in-White van. 

“Is that...Fenton tech…?” Glancing back he saw that everyone was distracted, including Sam and Tucker, the former yelling at the ghosts to get the hell off her car, and the latter recording it in glee. Slipping away from their sides, he headed to the van, staying out of sight until he was able to climb inside, rifling through things. “Where the hell did they get Fenton tech…” 

Sure his parent’s made weapons all the time, but they never actually  _ sold  _ them. So to see them with the Guys-in-White...it was slightly troubling. Another glance showed a red version of the Fenton Thermos, Danny wondering if it was more different than just a color change. Picking it up, he immediately yelped and let it drop to the floor, ghost rings triggering and changing him into his ghost half. 

“Keep calm. Just a shock. Just a shock. Just a tiny thing. It didn’t hurt, you aren’t dead, you’re fine.” Shaking now, Danny took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and figure out what had happened. The device had shocked him...and then triggered his transformation? He didn’t know of a weapon that could do that… 

“Wha- Phantom?!” Oh shit. “Code Red, Code Red! We have Phantom here!” 

“Well, that’s my cue to leave,” Danny muttered, trying to phase out of the truck only to bite back a scream as he was shocked back again. “Really, dude?! Anti-ghost van?! How paranoid are you guys?!” 

“ Well it caught you, didn’t it?” The hunter sneered, one of the red thermoses in hand, lid off. “We ‘borrowed’ this tech off the idiot Fentons, but we made a few improvements. Be sure to let me know what you think, Ghost Boy.” Before the teen could even let out a curse, he was screaming at the beam of  _ red  _ light that hit him. It was nothing like the usual thermos, which was meant to capture. No. This was meant to  _ hurt _ . “The more you struggle, ghost, the more it’s gonna hurt!” 

Gritting his teeth, Danny tapped into his ice powers, throwing as large a blast at the man as he could. Knocked off course, the red beam was thrown off him, Danny not wasting the opportunity to fly out of the truck and back to the others, who had heard his scream and were already in front of the van. Panicked eyes darting around, he immediately flew to hide behind his mate, hands clenching the familiar purple coat in a death grip. 

The hunter, who had just emerged as well, paled at seeing red eyes, and a knife flying straight for his head. It was also the  _ last  _ thing he saw. 

“ Well. So much for that no killing vow of yours,” Randy whistled, nudging the completely dead hunter with his foot. “Damn, accuracy is as sharp as ever, too- How the hell are you so accurate with  _ knives _ ?! Do you know how frustrating that is to a gunslinger?!” 

“ Maybe if you had  _ practiced  _ more,” Andrew rolled his eyes, gently prying Danny off before wrapping him in a hug, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. “Hardly my fault you were always skipping curfew and flirting with  _ everyone _ . One of the reasons you were poisoned, most likely.” 

“ Apparently, I found out that co-ed dorms are not fond of someone who slept with  _ everyone  _ in the building,” Randy shrugged. “How is he, anyways?” 

“Yo, Danny, you in there?” Sam asked, snapping her fingers as Danny looked up at her, fear still in his eyes. “Yeah, no, whatever they used on him has to be pretty bad.” 

“Looks like some kind of container?” Randy half asked, looking at the red thermos on the ground. “Or...a soup can?” 

“That’s a Fenton Thermos, but not one like I know,” Tucker muttered, walking over to it, doing his best to ignore the dead body. He couldn't find it in himself to be remorseful, considering how loud and pained his friend’s screams had been, and he knew Sam felt the same. “Looks like it’s been stripped and built back up.” 

“ It looks ridiculous,” Randy snorted, picking the device up and dropping it at once, clutching his hand in pain. “ _ Sonuva- _ What the hell is that thing?!” Tucker hesitantly poked it himself, finally picking it up when he deemed it safe, and slipping it into his backpack. 

“Not sure, yet. Hey, Danny, is that what the guy used on you?” He looked back to see his friend hesitantly nod, finally looking like he was starting to calm down. “I’ll try and strip it down myself, see what caused it, and if there’s a way to neutralize them. Stop it before they can be used on any other ghosts.” 

“Y- Yeah. Thanks, Tuck.” Figuring it was safe enough, especially with Andrew still protectively hugging him, Danny let himself change back into his human side. 

“You know, I know just the thing to cheer you up,” Randy slowly grinned. “Reading some of Andy’s earlier poetry work-” 

“ I will not hesitate to shove my knife into your core, brother,” Andrew hissed, Danny biting his lip to hold in a laugh. “You don’t even  _ know  _ where to find them!” 

“No need, I remember them,” Randy grinned wickedly, shooting the knife that was once again flying for his head. “Now, let’s see, what was that one about the dog?” 

“ _ There will be nothing left of you if you keep talking _ .” Danny was about to attempt to calm his mate down before he heard his phone ring, pulling it out and answering it. 

“ Hm? Oh, hi, Jazz. Yeah, we’re at the park. Got sort of sidetracked- Met Andrew’s brother, too. Kind of cool. You’d probably try to kill him.” Nodding as he heard his sister talk, Danny finally frowned. “Gone? What do you mean... _ gone _ ? Wait- Slow down, Jazz, I can’t understand you when you talk that fast. Uh-huh. Okay- New research? On  _ what _ ? Wait, wait- Partners?” Listening another moment, Danny finally nodded, letting out a sigh. “Okay, let me know when it’s safe. Mhm, love you too, bye.” 

Hanging up, he put his phone back in his pocket, looking up to his mate. “Just letting you know, I’m staying with you the next few days. The house is sort of on quarantine with the new ghost shield up, and my parents being gone. Jazz needs time to disable it, and she thinks this one might be powerful enough to hurt me while I’m human, too. Sort of don’t want to find out.” 

Before his mate could respond, he was interrupted by his brother, “Ooor, he could stay with me! More bonding time!” He had a knife aimed for his eye, which he quickly shot away, used to the action. “Oh, come on! Let me at least  _ enjoy  _ my new little brother!” 

“ The less time you spend around him, the better,” Andrew huffed, arms tightening around Danny, who didn’t seem to really mind. “Besides, that death trap lair of yours is not  _ safe _ . Last time I was there, and only time, I’ll remind you, I nearly had my arm ripped off.” 

“But you didn’t!” 

Danny had the feeling it was going to be a rather long summer. 

::

Jerking awake, and heart pounding wildly, it took a few minutes for Danny to realize that he was safely in his mate’s lair, said mate wrapped around him as they slept. Letting out a shaky breath, he snuggled back into the familiar fabric, and smells of parchment, dream that had startled him awake already fading away. In fact, as it was now, the only thing he could remember was…

Wings. 


	30. Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for : references/jokes to sexual situations - brief and mild

** Chapter Thirty - Summer  **

** :: **

“ I’m sort of wondering, did you actually  _ ask  _ Andrew before you decided to kidnap me?” 

“ Andy needs to learn to lighten up before he fades away from that stick up his ass. Besides, it’s not kidnapping. I  _ convinced  _ you to join me.” Danny only shook his head from where he was following Randy, the two in Amity Park. “You two have been holed up in that goddamn library for a  _ week _ , someone had to come pry you out.” 

“ You threatened to blast the doors off,” Danny snorted, snuggling his jacket and scarf closer to him at the shiver he paused to give. “Vidya was ready to bring the stone lions to life to  _ eat  _ you. And I mean, I don’t see the point of leaving the library. Andrew makes sure I eat, at least.” 

“I’ve given up hope on him, but you at least, are getting some sunlight and enjoying yourself!” 

“I was enjoying myself,” Danny huffed, grinning wickedly at the glance Randy shot back to him. “I was enjoying myself greatly~” 

“...You are like, the epitome of people he would hate...how the hell did you charm him this much?” 

“ My good looks,” Danny smiled cheerily, waving at some of the passing ghosts. “Kind of surprised he  _ still  _ doesn’t hate me, considering the first time we met I may have accidentally destroyed one of his books-” 

“ YOU WHAT?! AND YOU’RE  _ ALIVE _ ?!” Danny wasn’t sure whether to be amused, or worried, at how stressed the man looked. “What the hell did you do?!” 

“ Well, Christmas is sort of a bad time for me, so, you know, I went to the Ghost Zone to blow off some steam, but Andrew was coming out of Vidya with his new Christmas poem, and one of my ectoblasts sort of hit it by mistake. I didn’t exactly apologize, cause, I mean,  _ Christmas _ . So, you know, he trapped me in a poem.” 

“ A...poem- He  _ trapped  _ you in a poem...” 

“ Yup! Taught me a lesson about cherishing friends and family and all that good Christmas Cheer stuff. Didn’t really get it at the time, but realized he wasn’t  _ completely  _ insane after it all went down. And then, you know, Clockwork-” 

“Clockwork...as in… The ghost who controls time and all that?” Randy asked hesitantly, Danny having to stop himself from laughing as the ghost took a step back. “The one who could destroy your entire history in seconds?” 

“He’s sort of my dad.” Another step back. “Well, he’s the reason I have my ghost powers, at least. It’s a long story, he’s really cool, though. Used to help me with my history homework until Andrew started tutoring me. Anyways, so, Clockwork made me go apologize to him- Guess he sort of saw the whole mates thing. So, you know, went over- And I actually heard Vidya even back then, which I never really realized… 

“Anyways. Apologized, he offered to tutor me after we hung out for a bit, and then we became friends- Well, he didn’t want to, at first, but I latched on with all the stubbornness of a leech.” Pausing, Danny gave a wicked grin. “The bite marks on him prove it.” 

“ ...I...I don’t have words for this,” Randy finally mumbled, holding his arms to his chest, and looking a mix between worried and confused. “Kid, I was an  _ assassin _ . I’ve seen just about everything, but this? This is just… I’d use impossible, but clearly, it’s not.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m sort of impossible myself,” Danny shrugged, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Short as he was, and wearing clothing that looked far too big for him, he easily looked like a young middle schooler. “So, wanna go break ghosts out of Walker’s Jail?” 

“...Definitely.” 

When Andrew finally pried out of Vidya just  _ who  _ his mate was with, the doors slammed open to reveal Danny and Randy, the latter looking more than a little panicked. “Oh? Something panicked  _ you _ ? Now I’m curious.” 

“ Prison break,” Danny smiled widely, bouncing over to hug Andrew, happy when the hug was instantly returned. “I warned him about those two ghosts that are getting jailed a lot, the dragon and the terrifying mob boss looking one? I mean, you can’t be prepared for that, but I  _ did  _ warn him.” A barking sound came from the bag on Danny’s back, a green puppy popping out a moment later. “Also, I found Cujo again.” 

“ Cujo…” Andrew slowly grinned, looking to his brother. “The ghost over there is a friend of mine...why don’t you go  _ play  _ with him.” At hearing of a new playmate, Cujo was instantly jumping out of the bag and running over to Randy, form changing into that of a giant monster, Randy letting out a squeak of terror as he was tackled. 

“Let me guess...scared of dogs?” 

“Heh...revenge is ever so sweet,” Andrew chuckled, noticing that Danny was leaning into him a bit more than usual. “Are you alright?” 

“Fine, just kind of tired,” Danny shrugged, letting himself transform back into his human side. “I’ll be fine after some sleep.” Probably. 

::

“Oo, yet another rare trip to the human world, hm?” Danny smiled at his mate’s expression, leaning over the counter he was behind to give him a sweet kiss. “I can now cross the cliche of boyfriend visiting me at work off my list of things needed doing.” 

“It does not surprise me you have a list like that,” Andrew chuckled, giving Danny another kiss. “When do you get off work?” 

“Mm, about an hour? Why, have fun ideas planned?” At the happy hum and kiss to his forehead, Danny had a feeling that they were plans that would, most likely, end with Andrew doting upon him endlessly - not that he had any problems with that. 

“Why is it always summer when business is dead?” The two glanced up to see Owner walking into the store, two taped boxes in her hands. “Kids need to appreciate the classics more! I’m telling you- Oh, hey! It’s your rocker piano boyfriend!” 

“You know, we weren’t dating when you first met him,” Danny pointed out, rolling his eyes at Andrew’s chuckle. “Well, we weren’t.” 

“Pft, might as well have been the way you kept staring at him like he was the freaking sun and stars,” Owner snorted, heading towards the back room. “By the way, since no one looks to be coming in, you’re free to leave early. Spend time with your boyfriend.” 

“Owner...you’re awesome.” Jumping over the counter, Danny gave the woman a quick fist bump as he passed, grabbing Andrew’s hand and pulling him along. Once they were out of the store, Danny looked to his mate, leaning into his side and giving him a happy smile. “So, what were the fun ideas you had planned?” 

“Mm, trip to the Skulk and Lurk, walk through the park, kidnapping you and never letting you go.” 

“ Kind of like the sound of that last one, even though you pretty much  _ already  _ have me kidnapped,” Danny snorted, laughing at Andrew’s light blush. “To be fair, it was less of a kidnap, and more of a rescue. Hm, I guess that really  _ does  _ make you my knight in shining glasses.” 

“ Oh,  _ please  _ don’t let that stick,” Andrew sighed, rolling his eyes at the sweet kiss to his cheek. “Menace.” 

“Only for you~” 

::

“ Can you promise me that this isn’t going to end up like my  _ last  _ hair dying messes?” Danny asked nervously, fidgeting as Kitty carefully applied hair dye to the tips of his hair. “I mean, those were pretty bad, and I’d rather not relive them.” 

“Would seeing the box ease your fears?” 

“ ...Yes.” Danny scanned the box that was reached to him, triple checking that the color was white, and not anything like  _ pink _ . “Seriously, though? White tips? You know that’ll give me black tips as Phantom, right?” 

“Aw, come on, Danny, where’s your sense of adventure!” 

“Sorry, that part of me died when I was shocked with thousands of volts of electricity in my parent’s basement.” At the heavy silence, Danny let out a grin, “Too dark?” 

“You definitely have your mate’s humor,” Johnny snorted, going back to work on his bike. The three were in Kitty and Johnny’s lair, which was a mix between a garage and a nice apartment. Danny found he rather liked it, and it suited the two ghosts perfectly. “Speaking of GW, how is our ruthless librarian?” 

“Last I checked? Looking for a way to kill his brother,” Danny grinned, only partly paying attention to what Kitty was doing with this hair. He had found out that the woman had taken a few cosmetology classes before she had died, so she probably knew what she was doing. Or at least, he hoped. “It’s kind of fun to see him acting like his actual age, instead of a bitter, middle-aged librarian.” 

“ What  _ is  _ his actual age?” Johnny asked curiously, Danny amused to note that he had grease smeared on him from head to toe. “Like, early 30s, or something?” 

“22, actually,” Danny chuckled, pausing in where he was absently kicking his feet. “Huh...pretty sure our relationship is illegal…” 

“Average age of consent is 16,” Kitty replied at once, Danny and Johnny giving her raised eyebrows. “Just, you know, being helpful.” 

“I think that’s helpful...maybe,” Danny hummed, finally giving a shrug. “Not like it really matters right now, anyways.” And he knew as soon as the words were out he had made a mistake. 

“ Ooh, so, you  _ haven’t _ -” 

“Nope!” Danny cut Kitty off sharply, already blushing brightly. “Not discussing this with you!” 

“ Aw, come on, Danny! Give me some girl talk! I’m dying here! I can only listen to Ember complain about Skulker so many times, and Johnny doesn’t know  _ how  _ to girl talk.” 

“It’s true, I don’t,” Johnny nodded, banging his wrench against something that looked like the gas canister. “I always zone out and think of mechanics when she starts going into touchy feely stuff.” 

“ And  _ that  _ is why you have relationship problems,” Danny rolled his eyes. “Don’t you know communicating and reaching compromises is the key to a healthy and successful relationship?” Pausing to think of his own relationship, Danny waved his hand dismissively. “Actually, forget that. Just do whatever works.” 

“Don’t change the subject, Danny,” Kitty huffed, still applying dye carefully to the teen’s tips, hands steady as she complained. “I know you wear that scarf for more than just sentiment.” 

“You’ll have to kill me to get that knowledge, Kitty,” Danny spoke solemnly, as well as burrowing down in his scarf more. 

“I accept that challenge!” Kitty declared, setting her things down. “Also, you’re done. Just let that sit for about 40 minutes, and then we’ll wash it out.” 

“ Mmkay. So, on girl talk subject, how’s  _ your  _ life going. Any more fights with Paulina that I should know about?” At the guilty look, Danny gave a sigh. “What was it over this time?” 

“ It was the last bottle,” Kitty sighed dramatically, holding out her hand to show glittering golden nail polish. “Shifting Sands is so hard to get a hold of. It was my only chance, and besides, that girl is  _ evil _ .” 

“You’re probably not wrong...and that’s a great color, so I’ll allow it.” 

“And this is why I love you more than Johnny.” 

“Hey!” 

::

“ Remind me why we continue to try and beat her at gaming?” Tucker asked dully, letting his controller drop to the floor in defeat as Sam, yet again, won against them. “It doesn’t even matter what game I pick anymore...she  _ always  _ wins.” 

“ We were fools to think she could be defeated,” Danny nodded solemnly, letting his own controller drop to the floor. “Seriously, how did you even  _ do  _ that move last round? That move shouldn’t be  _ possible _ !” 

“ Absolute skill and the need to  _ dominate _ ,” Sam smiled, cracking her fingers in triumph. “You two are improving, at least! For a second, I actually wondered if I should bother to worry!” 

“And you wonder why we’re your only friends,” Tucker mumbled bitterly, yelping as he was kicked off the couch. “Right there! That’s why!” 

“I thought it was because she has her own self worth that doesn’t need to be determined by others, and is comfortable in expressing herself with only those she wants to.” Danny, instead of being kicked off the couch, was pulled in for a hug by Sam. Used to the action, he didn’t bother to fight it. 

“ See, Tuck? This is why everyone loves Danny.  _ Everyone _ .” 

“I am indeed lovable. By the way, I thought you invited Valerie?” 

“I did, but she had double shifts at the Nasty Burger today,” Sam shrugged, finally releasing Danny, kicking Tucker’s legs out from under him once he stood. “Probably has to deal with the A-Listers, which is something I definitely don’t envy.” 

“You know what...she could use a ghost attack,” Danny slowly grinned, both his friends looking at him in confusion. “Come on, I’ll explain on the way. Tucker, you have that ghost radar you’ve been working on?” At the nod, he grinned. “Time for a test run.” 

Twenty minutes later and Valerie, wiping down tables, watched in shock as a large werewolf of a ghost, one she remembered was friendly, burst into the Nasty Burger, immediately tackling Dash and Paulina and licking them like an over excited puppy. Considering the two had been making her shift hell the past hour, she couldn’t find it in her to be worried. 

“I figured Wulf could use a few more friends.” Looking over to Danny, who was grinning proudly, Valerie gave a laugh. 

“Well, it’d be a shame to drag him away now. Might as well let him have his fun for a while longer.” The citizens of Amity Park, now far too used to ghosts, hardly bothered to look up after a few minutes, instead going back to their meals. 

“My thoughts exactly! When’s your break, by the way?” 

“Uh...about ten minutes away, why-” 

“Good! Early break.” Danny dragged Valerie over to where Tucker and Sam were already seated, and arguing, four plates of food in front of them. “Friend time is important. I mean, I’m pretty sure we discussed this at one point.” 

“Probably,” the teen sighed, not fighting as she was shoved into a booth, Danny blocking her from escaping. “You have the habit of working your way into people’s lives seamlessly, don’t you?” 

“It’s a talent, at this point.” 

::

“Dooorrraaaa! Your plants keep attacking me!” 

“That is certainly strange, Sir Danny. They usually prefer to play with children.” Danny glared as best he could at the laughing ghost. His glare rather lost intensity, considering he was being held upside down by a group of vines. 

“Now, that’s just adding insult to injury,” the teen whined, struggling more. “I come all the way over to visit my favorite dragon, and this is what I get! Rude, Dora, rude.” 

“Apologies, Sir Danny. Shall I bring out the welcoming banners and trumpets, next time?” 

“...Sam’s been teaching you sarcasm, hasn’t she?” At the laugh, he figured that was a yes. Struggling a few more seconds, Dora finally took pity and walked over, helping him out. “Thanks. Also, sorry I haven’t visited in so long. Kinda had to deal with my teenage drama of falling in love.” 

“So I’ve heard,” Dora smiled, making sure the teen was relatively unscathed. “You’ve found your mate in the Ghostwriter, yes?” 

“ Yeah, he’s...he’s really great,” Danny blushed, scratching nervously at this cheek. He could  _ feel  _ the dopey smile that was on his face. “S-So, um, what’s been happening around here? Sam said she’s been visiting when she can, she still helping you all catch up to the 21st century?” 

“Indeed! Lady Sam has been most helpful to my subjects and I,” Dora cheerfully replied, hands crossed as she walked next to the half ghost teen, who she noticed looked a little more exhausted than usual. “She’s educated us quite a bit on matters, of course, we prefer to keep to our...aesthetic, I suppose. I would rather miss my dresses, after all.” 

“Heh, nothing wrong with that, I guess,” Danny laughed, absently tugging at his scarf. He was always rather amused to notice that the scarf stayed on him when he changed between his forms. “And...how’s Aragon? Any better?” 

“I am afraid not…” Dora sighed, glancing back towards the castle. “I visit him daily, as I’ve told you before, but he seems determined to ignore me. The guards inform me he no longer rages, so I can only hope that he improves as more time passes.” 

“Hey, time heals all, right?” At the nod, Danny gave a small smile. “I’m sure he’ll see sense eventually, and if not, at least you can say you tried your best. Anyways, on a happier note, when are you coming back to Amity? The little kids at the park miss their dragon buddy!” 

“I suppose it has been a while,” Dora mused, glancing over to see Danny’s wide smile. “A small trip wouldn’t hurt… Is that why you visited, today? To attempt to get me back out into the world?” 

“Hey, someone has to look out for the princesses, it just so happens that I’m the right guy for the job!” His heroic look was quickly ruined by one of the vines wrapping around his ankle and jerking him back into the air, the teen letting out a childish whine that had Dora laughing again. “Dooorraaa! Your plants are evil!” 

“I don’t know, Sir Danny, I think they’ve rather taken a liking to you.” 

::

“So, remind me, how was this road trip suppose to go?” 

“Well...less breaking down, for one thing.” Danny snorted, settling back on the hood of Jazz’s car, jacket off for once as he soaked up the summer sun. The highway they had broken down on was completely empty, leaving the two siblings to wait for a tow truck. “It was meant to be a week long sibling bonding experience!” 

“This is why I told you to check with Johnny before trying to fix your car yourself,” Danny sighed, glancing up to see his sister, who was sitting on the roof of the car, a wide brim hat on her head to keep the sun out of her eyes. “He, at least, knows his mechanics.” 

“I am a straight A student who takes multiple AP classes and has been accepted into over two dozen of the highest caliber universities!”

“Yeah, you also can’t fix anything electronic or mechanical to save your life,” Danny pointed out, taking the silence as answer enough. “I mean, the trip was a good idea in theory. And hey, we’re sort of bonding! Over, you know, our hatred of breaking down.” 

“This is what I get for trying to drag you away from Andrew and Vidya,” Jazz sighed, laying down on the roof to where her head was hanging off the top, Danny catching her hat before it could fall. “You need sunlight eventually, though!” Rolling his eyes, Danny dug out his phone, cupping a hand over the screen to where he could actually see it. “I mean, I worry! I don’t even know if you’re being safe-” 

“Whooa- No, no, no. Not having this conversation with you!” Danny interrupted, face already growing red, and he had a feeling it wasn’t from the sunlight. “This is, like, the fifth time I’ve had to escape this conversation. Please, no.” 

“It’s my job to worry about you!” 

“ Jesus, Jazz.  _ No _ . Nothing like that even happens,” Danny muttered, Jazz looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “I swear! I am still 100% not getting laid here! Which is starting to irritate me just a bit.” 

“Maybe he’s just worried about the age gap,” Jazz suggested, rolling over to let the sun get to her back, arms hanging over the side where she could poke her brother’s cheek. “I mean, there’s quite a few years there. And you may not realize it, but sixteen is still pretty young. He’s just wants to make sure you’re happy, and not rushing into anything.” 

“Yeah, guess so,” Danny shrugged. “Ugh, I can’t believe I’m having this talk with you.” 

“ Oh, trust me, little brother, it could be  _ much  _ worse.” At the raised eyebrow, Jazz gave a wicked grin, tugging on his scarf. “Shall I bring up just  _ why  _ you always wear this thing?” 

“Nope. I’d rather you didn’t,” Danny blushed, coughing into his fist as he burrowed down deeper into said scarf. “Can we- Like- Can we switch subjects here? I’d really like it if we could switch subjects here.” 

“ Mm, we  _ could _ , but that wouldn’t be as fun,” Jazz sighed dramatically, laughing as her hat was thrown into her face. “I kid, I kid...mostly.” 

“ Uuugghh. I should have stayed with Andrew, but nooo, I had to do sibling  _ bonding _ .” Looking down at his phone, which had just buzzed, Danny let out a laugh. “Looks like I’m not the only one doing sibling bonding!” At his sister’s look, he grinned again. “Remember how Tucker and I made phones that work in the Ghost Zone? And we had Technus set up a system for it? Well, I gave Andrew one, and apparently he’s bonding with Randy, since he just stole it to text me.” 

“Did you really save his contact name as ‘mon ange’?” Jazz asked, looking at the phone was held in front of her. “That’s adorable.” 

“ I know for a  _ fact  _ he saved mine as ‘mon cher’. It was payback,” Danny huffed, pulling his phone back and sending a text of good luck. “If Randy’s alive when we get back, I’m gonna be surprised.” 

“Mm...hey, Danny, you know the shield’s been down for over a week now, right?” At her brother’s silence, she let out a sigh. “You really hate it there, don’t you?” 

“I mean...do you want the truth? Or one of those white lies that show everything is happy?” At the look, Danny gave a shrug. “I just...feel safer with Andrew, than I do there. I know I’ll have to go back there when school starts, but considering Mom and Dad haven’t caught on yet...I figure I’ll just deal with it when they do.” 

“Fair enough, I guess,” Jazz smiled, ruffling her brother’s hair. “If I could get out of there, I know I would.” At the teen’s look, she waved it away. “It’s fine, Danny. I start college this year, remember? I’ll be out of there, and you’ll have Andrew to stay with, since he never has the heart to kick you out.” 

“ Dude, he couldn’t even kick me out when he was  _ just  _ tutoring me,” Danny laughed, fingers gently playing with the ends of the scarf. “I’m still kind of worried what will happen in the future...but I’m glad I have him now.” 

“Certainly means less complaining from you. Especially when you come back looking dazed and smiling like the heavens themselves gave you a gift.” 

“So, hey, when’s that truck getting here?” 

“ Oh, don’t worry, we still have  _ hours  _ of bonding time.” 

“Joy.” 

::

“It’s not going to work, Daniel.” 

“One day! One day I am going to sneak up on you successfully!” Clockwork rolled his eyes as Danny changed back into his human half, going to snuggle up in his favorite chair. 

“Did you just come from the human world?” At the confused nod, Clockwork raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you wearing a jacket?” 

“I’m cold,” Danny whined, hugging his red and white vinyl jacket even closer to him. “That, and I’ve worn it so much, I’m sentimentally attached. There is no getting rid of it at this point, sadly enough. No matter how hideous everyone thinks it is.” 

“Samantha tried burning it, didn’t she?” 

“She tried. She did not succeed,” Danny grinned wickedly, moving to grab one of the cookies off the glass table. Being the Clock Tower, they were always kept warm and fresh. “So, here’s a question, what’s it mean when you dream dreams that you don’t remember?” 

“I believe that is a question better suited to Nocturne, or even your sister.” Danny huffed at the answer, taking a moment to stuff another cookie in his mouth. 

“Yeah, but Nocturne creeps me out, and Jazz would just psychoanalyze me. I could ask Spectra, but she would drain me to a pathetic husk of fear and hate, and then Andrew would happily kill her. Pretty sure he’s already planning how to kill her.” 

“ Most likely,” Clockwork mused. “Is there anything you  _ do  _ remember of your dreams?” 

“Not really, just vague blurs and voices,” Danny sighed, giving a shudder. “And the color gold… I just know I wake up, terrified, and then I can’t remember what I’m terrified of.” 

“It could simply be your fear of the future manifesting itself in ways such as forgotten dreams,” Clockwork suggested, chuckling at Danny’s look. “Some of us understand Jasmine when she’s talking.” 

“...Fair enough.” Pausing, Danny dug his phone out, groaning. “Aw, man...I totally missed that movie we were supposed to go see…” Pausing again, Danny slowly looked up to Clockwork, grin forming. 

“No. I know what you’re thinking, Daniel, and turning time back an hour just-” 

“ Aw, come on,  _ please _ ?!” Looking as pathetic and cute as he could, Danny almost laughed at seeing the ghost’s caving expression. “I guess...if you really can’t…” 

The sigh of defeat was the only answer he needed. 

::

“ If you actually think I am getting up there and singing karaoke, you are crazy,” Danny huffed, going back to drinking his milkshake. At the look from the others, he pressed himself further against Andrew’s side. They had decided to walk around Amity for a bit, which was why Andrew was in his human illusion, before they had been ambushed by  _ everyone  _ for karaoke night. 

“Aw, come on, you can’t be worse than Tucker,” Sam grinned, gesturing to said teen, who had his chin on the table in shameful defeat, Randy tossing a fry into his mouth every so often. “I’ve heard you sing, and you’re not as bad as you think you are!” 

“Nope. Not doing it,” Danny huffed, yelping as Ember dragged him out of his seat. “Nooo! Andrew, save me!” 

“Désolé, mon cher, but I’m rather interested to see this myself. The only time I’ve heard you sing was with 50s rock.” 

“You’re all evil!” Danny whined, glaring as he was dragged on stage, Ember giving a thumbs-up to the DJ. “You will regret this!” 

“Just one song, babypop, then you can sit down,” Ember soothed, heading over to the DJ booth and going through the songs herself. “I’m sure you’ll do fine!” Danny flashed her a rather questionable gesture, hearing laughter from his friends. “Alright, 3, 2, 1, have fun!” 

“ I hate you,” Danny muttered quietly, almost whining when he saw it was a song he had never even  _ heard  _ before. Well, at least he could turn invisible and hide the rest of the day… Taking a breath, and making sure he didn’t look at the faces there were sure to turn from curious to pitying, he began. “ _ Well I fell down, down, down into this dark and lonely hole. There was no one there to care about me anymore. _ ” 

Well that was a rather depressing start to a song, especially one that sounded so upbeat and indie...and the parallels he could draw were not pleasant. “ _ And I needed a way, to climb and grab a hold of the edge you were sitting there, holding a rope. And we’ll go up, up, up but I’ll fly a little higher! We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nice. Up here, my dear, it won’t be long now, it won’t be long now… _ ” 

No, bad thoughts. No thinking of the fact he was slowly dying, and would be forced to leave everyone he loved and cared for behind. After all, no one really knew what happened to half ghosts after they died. Who was to say he would  _ ever  _ come back...especially with his ghost form destabilizing too... “ _ When I get back on land we’ll I’ll never get my chance. Be ready to live, and it’ll be ripped right out of my hands. _ ”  And wasn’t that just the damn truth. “ _ Maybe someday we’ll take a little ride, we’ll go up, up, up, and everything will be just fine.  _

“ _ And we’ll go up, up, up, but I’ll fly a little higher! We’ll go up in the clouds, because the view is a little nicer! Up here, my dear, it won’t be long now...it won’t be long now- If only, I had a little bit more time. _ ”  He was killing Ember after this song was over. Out of every song possible,  _ why  _ did she have to pick one this painful? “ _ If only I had a little bit more time with you _ .” And nope, not looking over towards Andrew. Because his mate could always tell how he was feeling, and right now, he didn’t want his dismal feelings known. 

“ _ And we’ll go up, up, up and take that little ride, and sit there holding hands, and everything would be just right. And maybe someday, I’ll see you again. We’ll float up in the clouds and we’ll never see the end. And we’ll go up, up, up, but I’ll fly a little higher, we’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer, up here, my dear. It won’t be long now…  _

“ _ It won’t be long now… _ ” 


	31. Scars

Scars may fade, but they never truly heal.

Warnings for : scars, light/mild sexual situations

* * *

**Chapter Thirty One - Scars**

**::**

"How the hell do you even keep these books organized?" Danny asked, eyes roving over the titles and authors, which, as far as he could tell, were in no particular order. "Do you just throw them on the shelf and then hope for the best when you need one?"

"...I'd rather not say yes to that," Andrew finally mumbled after a few moments of silence, Danny rolling his eyes in amusement.

"See, this is why I stuck around the first time, when you were dusting shelves," the teen sighed, fingers lightly trailing the edges of the books as he searched for the one Andrew was after. "I felt sorry for your poor, neglected books. And, you know, that unending guilt from Christmas. That was a factor."

"Also the fact the Master of Time guilted you into coming," Andrew added, laughing at the glare he was shot as he passed by, three more books in his arms. "My apologies, mon cher, but I merely thought we were speaking the truth."

"You are a rude ghost, mon ange," Danny grumbled, finally seeing the book they were searching for, reaching up to grab it. "One of these days-" Feeling the spasm of pain that shot through his back at the stretch, the teen jerked back, hissing as he clutched his arm, book falling to the floor with a dull thump.

"Danny?" Andrew was by his side in seconds, worriedly looking him over. "What happened?"

"No idea," the teen mumbled, carefully moving his arm and then hissing again. "Back pain, but like, _really_ bad back pain. Ugh, worse than being slammed into the street and all the way down into the sewers."

"The fact you can use that as a point of reference worries me," Andrew sighed, gently and carefully ushering Danny over to the couch where there was more light, being sure to not touch his back. "Sit down, maybe you banged it against something recently?"

"Mm, not that I can think of," Danny shrugged, making a strangled noise of pain once he did so. "Owowowow, that was stupid. That was really stupid." Suddenly feeling cool air hitting his back, he shivered, glancing down and narrowing his eyes. "Pretty sure phasing my clothes off is cheating, ya know. I'd much prefer them to be ripped off during heavy makeouts, or something." Even though that had yet to happen, considering for all that Andrew was rough, he was also overly careful with him.

Not getting a response to his joke, he frowned, glancing up as best he could. "You know, going startlingly quiet when you take my shirt off is not a real good thing for my confidence, there. So, anytime you want to compliment me on my manly physique, or something, that'd be great-"

"I thought you had speed healing…" Opening his mouth to ask what the other was talking about, the words died in this throat as it hit him with startlingly clarity, especially with the feeling of fingertips tracing the scars his eyes had traced in mirrors hundreds of times.

"Yeah...well, sort of... Things, well, they sort of transfer over," Danny muttered, resisting the urge to shrug and further hurt his sore back. "Exhaustion, sore muscles, hunger, weakness, fatigue...scars… My ghost half may heal quickly, but my human half...not so much. One of the reasons I wear jackets and long sleeves whenever I can. It's easier to hide it, than explain."

"I suppose I can understand that, at least," Andrew sighed softly, tracing one of the more larger scars, right beneath the neck. A beheading attempt that looked to have nearly succeeded. "Do you care for your wounds yourself?"

"Most of the time," Danny muttered, looking at anywhere but his mate. "Jazz, Sam, and Tuck help when they notice, but, for the most part, I try not to let them notice how bad it is...they'd just worry, like I know you are right now."

"We worry because we care for you, mon cher. True, it saddens us to see you go through things like this...but I rather think, like me, they'd prefer to know _when_ you're hurt, to help as best they can."

"...Stop making sense. It's unhelpful to my self sacrificing hero complex." He counted the laugh he heard as a win. "I guess...I should probably tell them when I'm hurt- Unless it's not too bad-" Wincing at the light hit to the back of his head, he sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Tell them when I'm hurt, got it."

"Merci. Other than the web of scars on your back, however, I don't see anything that could be causing the pain you just felt." Danny sighed, blushing as he felt a gentle kiss to one of the fresher scars, one near his neck that he vaguely remembered getting before he started the truce.

Feeling the other gently tug his scarf off, Danny felt his blush grow even worse, eyes trained on anywhere _but_ his mate, "Andrew, I, uh, what are you, um...doing?" He was rather used to Andrew showing him affection by now, but genuine, careful gestures of concern and love still threw him off balance.

And oh, he could _feel_ that smirk that was pressed into his skin. "Simply showing my...appreciation, for you being so accepting of help." At that, the blush grew worse, the teen biting his lip as he felt fingers tracing scars with the utmost care. With each scar traced, the memory of the night spent in pain, patching himself up, faded away to almost nothing.

"I- Ah- I...I really don't have a response for that," Danny finally mumbled, flinching at the gentle nip to his neck, one that was over very _familiar_ bruises. The flinch wasn't so much from pain, as it was from pleasure. Slightly fidgeting, and wondering if he should escape or stay right where he was, he let out a small whine at the blunt nails that scraped down his back.

"Shall I give you a few more scars, mon cher?" The question was accompanied by a harder bite, Danny blushing brightly at the groan that escaped him. Face on fire, and thoughts scrambled beyond all hope of putting them back together, the teen was immediately jumping up, almost tripping as he grabbed his clothes.

"H-Heh, w-well, um, thanks, for, uh, checking my back, and stuff. Yes. Mhm. So, uh, book. That we were looking for. I'll just. Um. I'll go get it." Heading for the bookshelves, the teen could _feel_ the grin his mate was giving him. Vidya's laughter wasn't exactly helping matters, either. "This is why Sam is a better wingwoman than you, Vidya. This. Right here."

At the trilling notes, Danny paused, giving a considering nod as he began carefully pulling his shirt and jacket on, and then winding his scarf around his neck, hoping his blush was fading away. "True. She, too, would mock me for my inability to deal with intimate situations due to my self destructing nature and belief that anything good in my life is soon to end, no matter how badly I want it to be otherwise." Grabbing the book off the floor, and wincing at the pain that had faded to a dull ache, he headed back to Andrew, who looked torn between worry and amusement.

"You _do_ know Vidya can relay your words to me, yes?" Danny paused at the information, slowly turning to glare at the ceiling.

" _Traitor_." Glancing back to his mate, he gave him the book, patting him on the chest. "Content yourself with the knowledge that you know more about me than most, including that I am miraculously self aware when the occasion calls for it, and leave it at that. Please and thank you."

"I think that's the most surprising thing I've learned today," Andrew hummed, cupping the teen's cheek and bending down to give him a warm and familiar kiss. "The fact that you're self aware."

"Ruuude," Danny whined, following after Andrew to the area they had been working in. "I mean, it's not like anyone could be _that_ bad without putting forth effort- Except, you know, social cues. I am very bad at those. I didn't realize you liked me until that night with the thunderstorm." Seeing his mate's incredulous expression, he shrugged. "Like I said, social cues. Not my best."

"I believed I was being rather obvious after I started calling you mon cher," Andrew sighed, Danny giving another shrug. "I started falling in love with you on that ridiculous camping trip, Danny-"

"That long?! Oh my god...I am clueless…" Andrew shook his head, looking amused again. "I mean, I figured it had been a while, but oh my god… Sam and Tuck were right…"

"There there, mon cher," Andrew chuckled, patting the teen's head and nudging him towards one of the seats. "All is said and done, yes?"

"Well, maybe not all," Danny muttered, waving off Andrew's curious look. "Nothing, nothing. So, uh, what do you need those books for, anyway? They all look like references…" Blinking at the faded and worn notebook that hovered in front of him, Danny gently took it, flipping through a few pages, eyes slowly widening. "Is...is this… But…"

"Didn't you ever wonder why Andrea's mother made the deal in the first place?" Andrew asked, almost laughing at his mate's expression. "I've been meaning to write the story for quite a while, but I suppose I never found the right inspiration, until now."

"You are the best ever. _Ever_." Truly, his mate spoiled him. Considering he had wasted two years of his life defending an ungrateful town, and getting almost killed because of it, he figured he was alright with being spoiled. Especially by Andrew.

::

"So, here's a question, can Vidya _actually_ bring the stone lions to life?" Danny asked curiously, looking at said lions as he hovered around one of them. "I mean, I've heard you two threaten it, but I've never actually _seen_ it."

"She can, she just never has much reason to," Andrew shrugged, going through one of the books they had just bought in the human world, vaguely waving at one of the lions. "They're more like a defense. Lairs, unlike doors, are unable to change their location so easily, hence their defenses. Clockwork, as I'm sure you've noticed, can hide his from any he wishes, something to do with manipulating the time stream, I believe."

"So, Clockwork gets freaking time magic, Skulker a death island, and you...get stone lions?" Danny settle down on top of one, crossing his legs as he made himself comfortable. "Seems kind of...weak, to be honest." At once, the lion sprang up, shaking it's head and knocking him off.

"Please, take your complaints up with them," Andrew grinned, the other lion jumping up as well, moving to sniff Danny curiously, and pick him up by the back of his jumpsuit in it's teeth, tail wagging. "They rather act like puppies, when not in battle."

"Oh man...they're adorable." Changing back into his human form, and still held in the lions mouth, he dangled a few feet in the air, grinning widely. "Can we keep them like this? They're so cute!"

"Giant stone lions wandering the library...I'm not sure how well that would work out, actually…" Andrew trailed off, actually pondering the effects. The stone lions weren't _that_ big, and the bookcases were certainly wide enough for them to go through without knocking things over. For the most part, at least.

"Is that a yes?" At the pause, Danny grinned. "I sense weakness." Andrew rolled his eyes, blinking as one of the lions moved to snuggle against him, stone feeling worn and smoothed from years of being exposed to the Ghost Zone. "Aw, they like you… Come on, we can scare Randy next time he comes over!"

"...Fine. They can stay." Danny threw his arms up in a cheer, lions almost bouncing in joy as they ran through the door, Andrew wondering if he had made a horrible mistake. Hearing the sound of a bookshelf crashing to the floor, and Vidya's angry screeching notes, he figured he had.

It was a few hours later when Andrew heard Vidya's warning of Randy being at the door. Glancing up, he saw Danny and the stone lions were in a giant pile, all sleeping. He almost didn't have the heart to wake them. Almost. Flying over, he nudged Danny, who tiredly yawned, blinking up at him in confusion. "Randy's here, if you still want to terrify him."

"Dude...yes." Scrambling onto one of the lion's back, he patted the head. "Onwards, Sasha!" The lion was up at once, shaking it's mane. Danny, seeing his mate's look, smiled. "This one is Sasha. She's a sweetie. The other one is-"

"Please tell me you did not use a Lion King name." At the silence, Andrew gave a long sigh, shoulders slumping in defeat. "What is it?"

"...Mufasa. He is king of the gardens." Andrew deeply worried for his mate. "Onwards, Sasha! Onwards, Mufasa! To victory!" The lions were off and running at once, Andrew smiling at the startled scream of terror he heard a few seconds later. Teleporting to the front, because, really, he didn't want to miss a second of this, he saw his brother pressed against the doors, gun in hand.

"Hello, brother. Please don't shoot my mate and lions." At Randy's confused and terrified look, Andrew shrugged. "Danny wanted to see the lions activated. Then he didn't want to let them leave."

"So...you let him keep...two giant lions...in the library?" At the nod, Randy sighed, finally holstering his gun. "It's ridiculous how in love you are with this kid." Dodging the knife thrown at his head, the ghost shrugged. "Just speaking the truth."

"Don't blame me if the lions eat you." At that moment, one of the lions, Mufasa, Andrew was sure, went to sniffing Randy. The look of fear was a thing of beauty, truly. "Yes, well, while you bond, I have work to do."

"Oh, no you don't! You two have been in here for over a week! You need to go out!"

"But we did go out," Danny whined, arms and top half of his body laying on top of Sasha's head, already looking tired again. "We went out to get more books."

"Going to another place filled with books doesn't count! When was the last time you saw sunlight for more than ten minutes at a time?" Danny shrugged, looking as if he was actually concentrating.

"Um...earlier? I think? Probably. Maybe." Sinking lower behind Sasha's head at the look he was given, Danny shrugged. "I've been busy."

"Doing what?"

"Avoiding reality. Now, if you excuse me, I need to show Sasha and Mufasa the gardens they will be ruling over. Onwards!" The lions were off once again, Andrew sighing as he heard yet another bookshelf fall to the floor, as well as a faint apology.

"You are _ridiculously_ in love."

"Yes, I suppose I am."

::

Turning and twisting in his sleep, Danny finally woke up, body tensed and ready for battle as his heart thudded in his chest. It took him a few moments to remember where he was, eyes catching sight of Andrew typing on his laptop a few feet away, books open on the ground beside him, as well as hovering in the air. The lions, he noticed, were curled protectively around him. For all that they were made of stone, they were actually rather soft, as well as warm, letting out slow, unneeded breaths that soothed any of his lingering fears.

A glance to the domed ceiling showed it was near sunset, soft and muted sunbeams warming him and the garden, light beginning to dim with the onset of night close approaching. Letting out a sigh, he snuggled back down, tugging his scarf tighter around his neck. For all that it was warm in the gardens, he was also freezing, and the increased pain in his back wasn't helping matters.

He also couldn't help but think...that he was running out of time…

* * *

Spoiler Alert : The lions never leave. Danny is fond of them, and Andrew is weak when it comes to his mate.


	32. Flamel Had It Wrong

Alchemy is as much magic as it is science.

Warnings for : mild/brief sexual situations, mad scientists, pushing the known boundaries and laws of physics

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Two - Flamel Had It Wrong**

**::**

"So, here's a question, what happens when the lions leave Vidya?" At the question, Andrew looked up to his mate, amused to see that he was once again laying on top of one of the lion's heads. "Do they go back to just being nothing but stone?

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest," Andrew hummed, sighing as one of the lions moved to sit beside him, much like a large dog would. "They were hardly, if ever, activated. If they left the island, I'm not sure how they would react."

"You know what this means?" Danny asked quietly, wide grin on his face as the other sighed. "Onwards!" Watching the lions run off, Danny on top of one of them, Andrew quietly asked Vidya what they were doing.

"Jumping off the side, of course… Why am I not surprised." After five minutes, and no return of his mate and lions, he figured that they stayed activated even when away from the lair. "That's one mystery solved, then. You sure he's left, Vidya?" At the confirmation, Andrew nodded, teleporting from the gardens to one of the rooms that was located deeper in the library, a place he hadn't even shown Danny yet. "Good. Let's see if we can get any progress done on this."

Snatching a pair of rubber gloves by the door, the ghost pulled them on, grinning wickedly as he headed to a table full of beakers, test tubes, and liquids that didn't look natural. "Life can't be extended, hm? Let's see what alchemy has to say about that! Nicholas Flamel didn't have access to the Library of Alexandria, after all!"

At the worrying notes from his lair, Andrew dismissively waved his hand, snagging one of the vials and carefully examining it. "You worry too much, Vidya. I'm not foolish enough to attempt eternal life...just...a prolonging." At the mournful tune in his head, Andrew let out a sigh. "Maybe a part of it _is_ me being selfish...but he's so _young_ , Vidya. I can't just let things happen like this...not if I'm somehow able to change it. And if that means risking my own life in the process?

"So be it."

::

"Yo, petit mec, we have a little problem. Emphasis on the little." Danny looked up from where he had been showing the stone lions to Sam, Tucker, and Valerie, surprised to see that it was Randy, pulling along his brother...who...happened to look like he was sixteen…and still ghostly?

"I will shove my knife down your throat!" Andrew snapped, yelping as he was dropped to the ground. "I'd wish death upon you, but I'm a little too late for that!"

"Andy here seems to have gotten into his old habit of attempting alchemy." Andrew huffed at the looks he was given, Danny only covering his mouth to keep in his laughter. The most amusing thing had to be that everything the ghost was wearing was far too big for his now short height, which was only an inch or two taller than Danny.

"I didn't _attempt_ \- I succeeded!" Andrew cackled, eyes gleaming in triumphant joy. "If you hadn't interrupted me when you did, I would have made it even better! I needed to _extend_ the cells, not deage them!"

"Oh my god...he's a total mad scientist," Tucker whispered, not sure whether to be amused or worried. "Wait- Alchemy? _How_?"

"Science!" Hearing his brother's snort, Andrew dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a knife, throwing it at his head, and scowling when it was dodged. "Stop moving! I'm trying to injure you!"

"Aw, he's like a little bundle of rage," Sam cooed, grinning at the glare she was given. "All tiny and pissed." Seeing the glare get worse, she only raised her eyebrow. "Remember why you _fear_ me, Ghostwriter." The glaring immediately ended, the now ghostly teen huffing and crossing his arms, looking remarkably similar to Danny.

"Wait, wait, wait. Why is he acting all, well, like a teenager?" Valerie asked, raising an eyebrow as she saw Danny carefully and hesitantly poke the ghost's cheek, Andrew brushing the fingers away with a confused look. "Isn't he usually mature to the point of boredom?"

"Might have changed his personality, too," Randy shrugged, looking uncaring. "Hormone induced rage and hatred included-" Ducking another knife, Randy continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Not sure if this is a time sensitive potion of his or not, though."

"So...he basically has the personality of a teenager?" Danny asked, slowly grinning at the nod he was given. "I am being rewarded for something...and I shall not waste the reward." Before he could be asked about his strange behavior, Danny immediately grabbed his mate by his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss, gently nibbling on the other's lower lip, and enjoying the shocked response of his mate. Oh yes, he could have fun with this.

Pulling away a few moments later, and grinning even wider at the blush that covered Andrew's face, Danny gave a sigh of contentment. "Revenge, sweet revenge."

"Yeaaah, there was a reason he never got any seducing missions as a teen," Randy snorted, amused to see his brother was still completely out of it. "They were usually given to me… Andy gets embarrassed over any form of affection at this age, so, you know, have fun with that."

"Oh, I _definitely_ will," Danny purred, tugging his dazed mate along, the stone lions happily following.

"I'm guessing that's probably normal, right?" Valerie asked, getting a shrug from Tucker, and a sigh from Sam. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

::

"I still can't believe you managed to change your age," Danny snickered, kissing away Andrew's frown, the ghost immediately blushing. "Yes or no, how against are you of me taking shameless advantage of this situation?"

"That's not really a yes or no question, is it?" Andrew raised an eyebrow, shivering as a kiss was pressed against his neck, a moan escaping at the gentle bite he felt. He felt the other grin, blush growing worse. "Is this how you feel all the time?"

"Embarrassed, unsure, and self conscious?" At the nod, Danny gave a small smile, cupping his mate's cheeks and pressing gentle kisses to whatever piece of skin he could reach. "It's kind of mortifying, a lot of the time, but you're very good at reassuring me...I just...panic, sometimes, thinking that you'll get bored of me, and stop wanting me."

"Danny...I could _never_ stop wanting you, not even if I tried," Andrew smiled sadly, pulling Danny into a hug that was happily returned. "Your smiles, your laughter, your kisses, you...how could I ever want to give you up, mon cher?"

"Andrew…" Feeling the hug around him momentarily tighten, the temporary teen was shocked when he found himself on the floor, Danny pinning him down and giving him a wicked smile. "I hope you know that I'm going to take full advantage of you being a cute teenager." At the blush, Danny lightly laughed, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to Andrew's neck that turned into a harsh bite, the ghost letting out a breathy moan. "Think of it as a treat for such kind words…"

A few hours proved that the potion was indeed time sensitive, which Danny was rather upset over. "I didn't even get until sunset...no, I got until late afternoon."

"Time that you didn't hesitate to waste," Andrew grumbled, light blush still on his face as he headed for his alchemy room down some of the darker tunnels, Danny right on his heels. "As evidenced by the fact my shirt and coat were missing by the time I was myself again."

"So close to getting your pants off, too," Danny sighed dramatically, shrugging at the look he was given. "I am a terrible person at heart, you should knows this, as evidenced by _your_ new scars."

"I…" Turning his head away, Danny made sure to enjoy what little of the blush he could see. "I am not going to respond to that."

"A shame, truly. I had so many great comebacks." Happily humming into the kiss that was meant to quiet him, Danny put his arms around his mate's neck, tugging him closer. "If that was meant to shut me up, it didn't work. I mean, you can always try again, though. I'm very willing for the try again option."

"So it seems," Andrew mused, pulling Danny into a deeper kiss, gently pushing him against a nearby wall to lean against. Danny, on his part, eagerly returned the kiss, nails not so gently scraping at his mate's neck, enjoying the shudder it earned him. "Getting less shy, are we?"

"Mm, maybe a little," Danny happily sighed, shivering at the set of kisses that was placed along his own neck, scarf tugged away. Feeling himself pressed further against the wall, he shivered at the cold that seeped through his shirt and jacket, biting back a moan as he felt a harsh bite to his neck. Teenage Andrew may have been fun to tease, but _this_ Andrew knew exactly how to tease him back. "You're also not as clever as you think."

"Mm? Do enlighten me on what you mean, mon cher." The words were paired with another bite, Danny shivering and biting his lip at the curl of pleasure that shot through him.

"The fact you're trying to distract me from whatever idiotic thing you were doing with ancient alchemy books," Danny huffed, words coming out more of a pant, than anything. "Lucky for you, you have good distraction techniques."

"I do try my best." Well...Danny supposed he didn't need to know what his mate had been up to _right away_. It could always wait...maybe for another few hours.

::

Frowning at his rude awakening, Danny grumbled out a few choice words, trying to figure out what had woken him up. It was a safe bet it wasn't his mate, since the man slept like the dead, in more than the literal sense. A few moments later, and the overwhelming pain in his back, and he figured out just what had woken him up.

Harshly biting his lip, he clenched his fists, eyes squeezing shut. If he thought the back pains the other day had been bad, this was _so much worse_. It felt like someone was drilling _holes_ in his back. Staying still, and trying to keep quiet so as to not wake his mate, who would only worry about him, Danny tried to go back to sleep.

He was rather unsuccessful, as he kept fading in and out of consciousness, each awakening accompanied with increased pains. It was another few hours before the pain finally started dimming to manageable levels, Danny twitching at every occasional stab before finally cuddling up to his mate, hoping that the pain would be gone by morning. At another stab of pain, he let out a small whimper, curling up tighter.

"Nn...Danny?" Hearing his mate's exhausted voice, the teen let out a sigh, trying to keep his voice as level as possible.

"Désolé, mon ange. Woke up from a nightmare, is all." It wouldn't do to worry him with the truth, when there was nothing either of them could do. He heard a vague mumble from the other, flinching when an arm wrapped around him, pulling him closer. He was therefore surprised when the pain, instead of increasing, seemed to taper off into nothing.

Right. Telling people when he was hurt… He should probably try that. In the morning, because, right now, he was _exhausted_.

* * *

Is it starting to come together?


	33. Shadows

Protecting others is sometimes more important than protecting yourself.

Warnings for : ectoplasmic blood, Spectra and emotional manipulation, minor character death, guns, knives being used as weapons, brief sexual situations of a PG 13 nature (which will be marked at the start and end with 'xxx'), author's worries that she scared everyone away with the warnings alone

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Three - Shadows**

**::**

It was the end of summer when Danny finally told Andrew of his back pains, which usually struck during the night.

"You've been experiencing this for _weeks_ and you just now thought to tell me?" At the pathetic look of sadness shot his way, Andrew sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "I just worry about you, mon cher. You say they've been getting worse?"

"Yeah...took a while to notice at first, but, yeah. I mean, it's nothing I can't handle-"

"It's something you shouldn't _have_ to handle." Danny only gave another shrug, not fighting the hug he was pulled into. The two had been visiting the park, Andrew in his usual human illusion form, when Danny had finally decided to share about the increasing pain. "Do you know when it first started?"

"Um, few weeks ago, near the middle of summer," Danny thought, light blush on his face. "I remember the after, not so much as the moment, heh." At the amused smile and raised eyebrow, Danny knew his mate was remembering the moment just fine. "You are insufferable."

"So you _have_ been studying your reading lists! Truly, mon cher, I am very proud." Andrew easily dodged the punch aimed at his chest, laughing quietly. "I suppose that terrible humor of yours finally rubbed off on me."

"Lies! My humor is much better than that!" Danny declared, trying to catch his mate, who effortlessly dodged once again. "Although, you know, it'd be nice if my humor wasn't the _only_ thing-" Yelping as he was tripped and fell on the grass, he blinked up at Andrew, who was still amused.

"We still need to work on your speed, I think." Not wasting time to respond, the teen jumped up, using a bit of his ghost powers, and tackled his mate to the ground, enjoying the surprised expression he saw.

"What was that about my speed?" Danny curiously asked, sitting comfortably on top of his mate, keeping the other's arms pinned to the ground. "I, personally, think I am very much improving! In fact, you could say-" The rest of his words were cut off as he suddenly found himself on the ground instead, Andrew effortlessly pinning him down and giving him a wicked smile.

"Tip for you, mon cher, don't take time to gloat over you victory."

"I...you didn't even let me finish my pun," the teen complained, rolling his eyes at the sweet kiss to his forehead. "I mean, common courtesy, at least!"

"You have my sincerest apologies," Andrew chuckled, Danny only huffing as he struggled to get free. A struggle that proved useless. "Yet again, the hero is completely powerless and in my grasp. Whatever shall I do with him?"

"Oo, yes, tell me your nefarious schemes," Danny grinned, trying not to let out more laughter. "Does it involve taking over the world? Keeping me as your prisoner?"

"I rather like the sound of that second one," the ghost mused, pressing a sweet kiss against Danny's lips, the teen happily returning it. "Then I'd never have to share you with anyone else."

"Wow, someone's possessive," Danny laughed, the laugh cutting off into a strangled whine at the sharp bite to his neck. "Now- That- That is cheating!"

"Something I happen to be very good at." Feeling a kiss pressed to the spot where he had just been bitten, Danny blushed, letting other another small whine.

"This is true. Know what I happen to be good at?" At the curious look, Danny gave a wicked grin of his own. "Escaping." At once, Danny gently kicked his mate off of him, bouncing up and running off. "Don't you know, mon ange? The hero always win!"

"And you say _I_ cheat," Andrew accused, chasing after the teen, who was already heading back to the more populated area of the park. "I thought the hero played by the rules!"

"What rules?" Danny called back, grinning widely as he narrowly dodged the other's attempts to stop him. "I thought all was fair in love and war!" He laughed as he was finally caught, arms pinned to his side in a hug, and a sweet kiss placed to his cheek. "Aw, is the hero finally caught for good?"

"Yes, he is," Andrew chuckled, hugging the teen closer to him.

"Unfortunately, the hero has to go back to school soon," Danny sighed, letting himself fully lean against Andrew. "I don't want summer to end...that means less of you. And that is a thought that I don't like. At all."

"You'll still be seeing me quite often, mon cher," Andrew soothed, pressing a kiss to the back of the teen's neck. "You could always use more help in English, after all."

"Oh, complain, complain, complain," Danny sighed dramatically, laughing at yet another kiss to his cheek. "That does reassure me. Slightly. You know what else would reassure me?"

"Sneaking into that movie theater you were banned from?"

"You know me so well."

::

"So, you know, maybe not our _best_ plan, but the movie was good, at least!" Danny laughed nervously, wincing as his mate tried to remove the mass of chewed gum in his hair, his white tipped highlights having miraculously survived. "At least, the part we managed to see before it all ended horribly."

"Thought we might find you two here." Looking up, Danny grinned at seeing Sam and Tucker, giving a wave. "Do I want to ask what happened to you this time?"

"Um...banned movie theater. Revenge. Hair. Pain. Not good." At the raised eyebrow, he smiled nervously, giving a shrug. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"One that ended horribly," Andrew put in, tearing out yet another chunk of gum, lightly scratching Danny's scalp to try and sooth him from the pain. "Next time, we should simply visit the bookstore."

"My hair and I are in agreement with you," Danny sighed, wincing as more gum was pulled out. Even with Andrew phasing pieces out where he could, it was still slow going. "So, Sam, Tuck, what devious plans have you been up to?"

"The usual summer end ritual of terrorizing students," Tucker shrugged, small smile on his face. "Dash's skin is now blue, by the way." At Danny's disbelieving look, he pulled up a picture on his pda, Danny grinning as he saw it. "Great, right?"

"One of the best things I've ever seen. So, who's next on the list?" At Sam's rather evil chuckle, Danny shared a look with Tucker. "Guessing it's Paulina, then."

"I have the _perfect_ plan, but it requires you, and your knight in shining glasses."

"So it did stick," Andrew sighed, getting rid of the last of the gum, although the teen's hair was standing on edge, like electricity had been run through it. "Why, exactly, would _I_ be needed? Unless you wish me to change reality to make her bald, or some such nonsense." At the look he was given, he sighed. "I am not changing reality for something so trivial."

"Why not? I mean, you did it to get revenge on your poor, unsuspecting mate, who was in pain on a day that brought back so many bad memories," Sam grinned, pulling Danny off the bench he had been sitting on and in for a hug, chin nestled in his hair where she was taller than him.

"That was low," Andrew pointed out, smirk on his face. "I approve. What do you need our help with?"

"It requires you, Phantom, danger, and a perfectly timed kiss." Ten minutes later and Andrew and Danny, back in their ghost forms, were floating above where Paulina sat with the other A-Listers, the group at the fountain and working to scrub the blue dye off of Dash's skin.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Andrew sighed, Danny only bouncing in excitement. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Because you love me and can't say no?" At the weary sigh, Danny grinned again. "What, you've never acted before? Your brother was all for the plan."

"Yes, he would be, wouldn't he," Andrew grumbled, looking at the sad expression on his mate's face. "I already agreed, there's no need to try and convince me."

"Aw, come on, at least _try_ to have a little fun with this," Danny sighed, wrapping his arms around his mate and tugging him closer. "Look, Randy flies in, pretends to shoot me, casual banter, has me 'beaten', you fly in, save the day, we kiss, break Paulina's heart! Simple as that!" At the continued frown, Danny kissed it away, happy when he finally got a smile. "Please?"

"Very well, I'll _try_ to enjoy myself," Andrew rolled his eyes, small smirk on his face. "No one said I couldn't _actually_ hurt him, after all." Danny shook his head as his mate teleported away, moving to hover near the open air, where Randy would be able to see him better. He had just spotted the ghost when he was full out tackled to the ground by something that was _not_ his mate's brother.

Letting out a scream as he slammed full force into the concrete, which _couldn't_ be good for his back, he flinched at the dark shadows he saw. "Well, well, Danny! It's been just too long, hasn't it?!" Feeling talons sink into his skin, he flinched at the negative emotions that immediately moved to the forefront of his mind. "Aw, too much on your plate, there? Think of it this way, Danny, at least when you're _dead_ you'll finally belong to just one world!"

"Get. Off. Me." Struggling harder, he winced as he felt the talons dig deeper, red eyes shining in twisted glee above him.

"And just who is going to _make_ me, Danny? _You_?"

"That would be me, actually." Danny whimpered as the talons were torn from his shoulders, the teen breathing heavily as he sat up, shoulders shaking in terror. " _I thought I warned you about harming him, Spectra_."

"Oo, you were serious about that?" Brushing herself off, the shadowed ghost sighed dramatically. "It was hardly my fault I couldn't resist. He's just so _ripe_ with terror." Dodging the gunshot she saw from the corner of her eye, she sneered at the new arrival. "Ah, so the brotherly assassins are together again. How fun for you two, hm?"

"I say we chain her up for a few thousand years," Randy suggested, smile present as always, but eyes sharp with anger. "See if it improves her attitude."

"I have a better idea," Danny quietly mumbled, Randy glancing back at him to see if he was okay. The teen was still curled up on the ground, but he attributed that to shock. "Andrew…" Looking to Spectra, and locking eyes with her, Danny slowly smiled. "Kill her."

" _With pleasure_." Danny happily watched as his mate went to work, the same moves he remembered from the memories he had been shown. In seconds, Spectra was pinned against one of the park trees, humans cautiously looking at each other and backing further away. Besides Phantom, it was rare to see other ghosts fight each other.

"So, the Priest of Death really is alive, huh?" Spectra cooed, grinning at the knife that was pressed against her neck, another held over her core. "How long until your madness returns, _Priest_?"

"Why, Spectra, don't you know?" Andrew asked, wicked smile still on his face. "I'm a writer, and we're _all_ mad. I did warn you what I would do if you harmed my mate, and this time, I have his full approval...do you really think you will survive this?'

"The _hero_ condemning someone?" Spectra scoffed, watching in amusement as Danny finally stood to his feet, clutching his left arm in pain. "You may be able to kill with ease, and not think of the mental burden, but what of him? You really think he can hold _death_ on his shoulders?"

"I can hold death just fine," Danny spoke up, voice still quiet, and face devoid of emotion, eyes glowing a bright blue. "You're a danger to the other ghosts, Spectra. You harm them, and draw out their hate and rage, you twist them to where they no longer are themselves. I've given you chances, I've let you go more times than I care to count, and you never learn...do you?"

Stepping closer, Danny studied the trapped ghost, letting out a sigh. "I won't let you harm anyone else, Spectra. Human _or_ ghost."

"You would condemn me to death?"

"I would." The command in his words was understood at once, Andrew's knife sliding into her core, Spectra's eyes widening in shock. It was almost anticlimactic, how the ghost was gone in seconds, green stained knife clattering to the ground.

Eyes fading back to their usual green, Danny dizzily shook his head, Andrew catching him before he could fall and hurt himself. Shoulders once again shaking, the teen tugged on his mate's coat, "Mon ange...take me home…"

It was the shortest flight to Vidya that Danny remembered.

::

Absently staring at the bathroom tile, Danny sunk down further in the bubbly bath Andrew and Vidya had made for him, thoughts in a whirl that he wasn't sure on how to detangle. It was one thing for him to be protective of Andrew and the other ghosts, but this…

Hearing a quiet knock on the door, he tilted his head, sinking down even further as Andrew poked his head in, worried expression on his face. "If you sink any lower, you're going to be underwater, you know." Danny only stuck his tongue out, Andrew rolling his eyes, a small bit of worry leaving his gaze. "I came to check on you, since you've been in here for a few hours now."

Danny glanced from his mate to the bathwater, blinking slowly. "...Vidya can keep the water temperature the same for however long she wants, can't she?" At the chimed agreement from his mate and lair, Danny gave a small nod, glancing back to the still warm water. "Have to admit, that's pretty cool."

Watching his mate grab an overly large towel, Danny raised an eyebrow until he was levitated out of the bath, face erupting into a bright blush. He was saved further embarrassment by the towel being quickly wrapped around him, and almost dwarfing him in size, Andrew taking him into his arms. "Any longer in that bath and your wrinkles are never going to go away."

"Well, it's not like I'll be getting wrinkles the _natural_ way," Danny mumbled, smiling apologetically at his mate's look. "Too soon?" At the quiet sigh, Danny reached up to give the other a light kiss on the cheek, snuggling back down in the large towel.

Slightly losing focus, and letting his thoughts return to earlier that day, he blinked as he was soon set on the bed, another towel being used to dry his hair. Glancing up through the fringes of his bangs, he saw his mate studying him carefully. "You know, I'm not about to have a mental breakdown, if that's what you're worried about."

"That's the second time your eyes have gone blue, and you've acted unlike yourself." Danny tilted his head in confusion, shivering as a few drops of water fell from his hair to his neck. It was one thing to be cold in the Ghost Zone, it was another to be cold _and_ soaking wet. "Cold?"

"Yes. Someone took me out of my warm and pleasant bath, after all," Danny grumbled, smiling as the second towel was used to carefully dry his neck and cheeks, body feeling just a little bit warmer. "S-So, when was the first time? With the eye thing?"

"During the incident with the ghost nip," Andrew hummed, fingers carefully tracing the edges of the bruises that ringed his neck and shoulders, the teen becoming a bit more flustered. "You acted, well, like you act now."

"Clingy and sappy?" Danny laughed at the dramatic eye roll he was given, reaching over to give Andrew a light kiss. "I kind of remember what you're talking about, though. It was one of the first times I actually saw you blush."

"Yes, you _would_ remember that part, wouldn't you?" The teen only gave a sweet smile, Andrew rolling his eyes before giving a light sigh. "How are you _really_ doing with all of this?"

"I don't feel bad, or guilty, for what I did," Danny quietly spoke, tired look on his face as he let out a sigh. "I don't exactly feel _good_ about it, but...not bad. It just...felt like something that I _had_ to do. Something that _needed_ to be done." Gaze growing guilty, Danny hesitantly looked up at Andrew, the ghost surprised by the fear and worry he saw in his eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry that I was the one who made you- I shouldn't have asked you to-! I should've just-"

xxx

Andrew cut him off with a sweet and gentle kiss, soothing tensed shoulders with gentle touches and caresses, Danny shivering and slowly losing tension, regaining it in an instant at the hand that slipped under the towel and gently rubbed his thigh. At the light squeeze, Danny moaned into the kiss, arms moving to wrap around his mate, and towel slipping off his shoulders.

"There's no need for you to apologize, mon cher," Andrew quietly hummed, trailing kisses down the other's chest, earning light shivers and gasps. "I was glad to take that burden away from you, however I could." Feeling the hand on his thigh move higher, Danny let out a small whine, arms tightening around his mate. "Would you like me to stop?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, _please_ don't stop," Danny quietly begged, face buried in the other's neck, shuddering as he heard a breathy chuckle. "Please, mon ange...please don't stop…"

"Mm, I never could deny you anything, could I?" Danny gave a frustrated groan as his mate stood up, immediately soothed at the rough kiss he was pulled into, body being pushed back to rest on the bed, Andrew pinning him down. "Shall we make the most of your last summer day, mon cher?"

" _Please_."

"As you wish."

xxx

* * *

Fun Fact : That took me almost an hour to write. As said before...I do not do PG 13 scenes with grace.


	34. Tick Tock

Dealing with parents can be tough.

Warnings for : panic/anxiety when dealing with parental figure, possible reference to emotional neglect/abuse

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Four - Tick Tock**

**::**

Jazz Fenton blinked as she suddenly found herself...not where she should be. She had been walking down the street to return library books, and now she was looking around a place that was suited to a medieval movie. Taking a few steps forward, and hearing a dull ticking that seemed out of sync with the hundreds of clocks she saw, she silently tried to piece things together.

"Clocks, ticking, tower. Right. Clockwork's. Must be bad if he summoned me here…" Walking around aimlessly for a few minutes, she finally stumbled upon said time ghost, who was quietly muttering under his breath as he floated back and forth between dozens of mirrors. The one in the center, she noticed, was the largest, others branching out that ranged from equal size, to those as small as hand mirrors.

"No, no, no, no, no...not yet, it shouldn't be happening yet… Not _ever_." The rest of the words trailed off into what she cautiously pegged as Latin, as well as...German? Making silent note of it, she walked closer again, wondering if he realized she was behind him.

"Clockwork?" At the startled jump and turn of his head, she took that as a no, he hadn't know she was behind him. "Is there a reason you put a portal in front of me?"

"I...did what?" And, wow, no. That was not reassuring her. Not at all. The Master of _Time_ being clueless about her being in his _lair_. That was the opposite of reassuring, really.

"I'm assuming it was you, considering the portal was _blue_." At the look that only grew more confused, Jazz sighed. "Either you did it and you forgot, or you did it without realizing."

"The latter certainly sounds plausible," Clockwork admitted quietly, nervously glancing back to his time mirrors. Jazz noticed that he was acting less like the wise old master he pretended to be, and more like a panicked adult who had messed up and didn't know how to fix the mess that had been caused. "Time is moving in a way that it shouldn't...and I can't _see_ what's causing it."

"Well, that sounds rather worrying." Worried, Jazz lightly nibbled at her lower lip, trying to figure out what could be happening. When a thought came to her, she paused and let out a sigh, "Let me guess…"

"Daniel is right in the center of it, yes."

"One day. Just _one day_ of peace is all I ask for. But, no. I have to get the kid destined to save worlds and timelines. Of course." Seeing the tray of cookies that was floating in front of her, she slowly raised her eyebrow at Clockwork, who nervously shrugged.

"I don't receive much company, Jasmine. The two that do visit are children, and often soothed by cookies." Jazz nodded, grabbing one of the cookies and chewing it viciously.

"Lucky for you, I rather like cookies. Now, explain this to me. Just what is going on?"

"It...might take a while to explain." In response, Jazz walked over to the same armchair Danny used, sitting down and looking back to Clockwork with a raised eyebrow.

"Does it look like I'm going anywhere?"

"No...it doesn't…"

::

"If I went invisible in the middle of class...how startled do you think everyone would be?" Danny asked curiously, feet in Sam's lap as the class enjoyed the free day the substitute teacher had given them in History. Sam, on her part, had her own feet propped up on her desk, tapping away on her phone. "And stop moving, do you know how hard it is to draw moving people?"

"I'm just surprised you're drawing when people can see you," Sam snorted, glancing up to see Danny with his tongue slightly out, pencil smoothly traveling across the sketchbook. It was little surprise that most of it was filled with drawings of his mate. especially now that he could see the lines he drew better with his glasses. "And I think they'd be fairly startled."

"Mm, maybe not," Tucker pointed out, working away on his own laptop, mostly in code. "Amity's been getting pretty used to ghosts, except, you know, the last fight."

"Yeaaah, the last fight set everyone on edge," Sam nodded, tapping Danny on his ankle. "Anything we need to talk about?"

"I don't think so," Danny spoke, giving a pause of consideration. "I already talked with Andrew about it, so I'm not keeping things bottled up. And I feel fine emotionally, or as fine as I can. So, you know. Not as bad as it could be- Hey, have either of you seen Vlad recently?"

"I don't think I've seen him since the time you and GW switched cores," Tucker frowned, looking up from his screen. "Think he's plotting something?"

"He's _always_ plotting something," Danny snorted, drawing speed slowing down. "I'm just worried that this time it might be something a bit more serious than usual...the last time he was gone this long resulted in Pariah waking up, and Elle forming. Seriously, he has knowledge of the Ghost Zone I'll never have! What if he _is_ planning something-"

"Then the ghosts would tell you," Sam cut in, soothing his worries. "Danny, the ghosts love you, and everyone's getting along thanks to that truce. If they saw anything bad, word would get back to you." At the reassuring words, Danny nodded, slightly relaxing. "Besides, Vlad never stays quiet for too long."

"Yeah, I guess so," Danny sighed, adding the finishing touches to his drawing of Sam, who had on her usual, condescending smirk. For all that his friend could be rude, mean, and quite brash, she was also someone he would never want to lose. "Time will tell, I guess."

"Everything is a time pun to you now, isn't it?" Tucker asked, rolling his eyes at Danny's poorly contained snickers. "This is what we call having a problem, Danny. Being unable to resist terrible humor-"

"I have great humor!" At the look shared between his friends, Danny huffed and hid behind his sketchbook. "So, yeah, it's mostly puns and witty banter-"

"Witty banter that isn't that witty-"

"You are cruel, Sammy!"

::

The second Danny arrived home, he headed for the basement, stopping in his tracks at seeing his mother at the table, sipping a cup of coffee and reading one of her old science magazines. "Oh, uh, hi, Mom? I thought you and Dad went to that conference?"

"Yes, well, your father stayed behind, but I rather thought it was time to return home," Maddie smiled, Danny resisting the urge to take a step back, mentally scolding himself for even thinking it. This was his _mom_ , granted she was a little hard on him at times...but he would be fine. "How was school? First day back, and all?"

"Oh, uh, great, I guess," Danny shrugged, eyes unable to quite meet his mother's. The last time she had asked about his day at school he had been 12, and in middle school. "Sam, Tuck, and I got into most of the same classes."

"That's good," Maddie smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. "Tell me, Danny, have you seen anything _strange_ happening with the ghosts?"

"S-Strange? Like what?" Stay calm, Danny. Stay calm. She was just asking about the ghosts, there was no need to worry, or think about nightmares, or cold metal tables- "I mean, they seem to be acting normally."

"That's just it, though...they haven't been acting normal for almost a year, now. Out of nowhere they just...stopped fighting. No more hurting humans, no more fighting each other, no more chaos… Just perfectly getting along with humans."

"Yeah, I guess? I mean, most of Amity Park seems pretty okay with them." He had to work at keeping the note of pride out of his voice. "Is that...bad?"

"I hardly need to tell you that ghosts aren't _human_ , right?" Suppressing a sigh, Danny quietly nodded. "Once, they might have been...but now, they're nothing but echos, faint imprints left behind with no _true_ humanity." That was wrong though, wasn't it? He had been practically _living_ with a ghost for almost a year...and there was no way what she said was true. "They've never been hesitant of causing chaos before, so I'm wondering...what's made them stop now?"

"Maybe...they learned the error of their ways?"

"Mm, dare to dream," Maddie chuckled, although Danny noticed there was a bitter edge to it, one that cut through him like a knife. "Well, I suppose I should get back to work," Maddie sighed, standing up and closing her magazine. "Your father and I are starting a new type of cannon, one meant to drain ghost energy and damage them at the same time- Although we're not quite sure how to work out the power usage, yet."

"Sounds, uh, powerful," Danny nervously smiled, making a mental note to stay away from any attempts at the weapon. He could speak from experience that having his energy drained wasn't fun. "Guess you'll be in the lab all day, huh?"

"For the next few days, I suppose, until we get the blueprints nailed down," Maddie sighed, glancing back at her son. "Remember what I said, Danny-"

"Yeah, I know, ghosts are evil-"

"No...that ghosts _betray_." With that, the basement door was closed quietly, Danny clutching his bag tighter and wondering why he was filled with overwhelming terror. He knew his mom hated ghosts, he had always know that, but this time… It sounded like she _knew_ ghosts, or had known them… And what did she meant betray? She- She couldn't know that he-

Mentally deciding that he would visit Andrew tomorrow, when his mom would most likely be asleep, he headed for his room, nervously watching every shadow, and flinching at every noise. Something about his talk with his mom...wasn't sitting right with him. There was something he was missing. Something…

"Of all the times to be clueless…"

He had a feeling the future might not be a good one.

::

Curling up tighter on the top of the OPs center, Danny quietly looked down to his hands, which were faintly glowing. He had noticed that his aura, in his ghost form, had been getting dimmer. It was particularly bad at night, when it was more noticeable. One of the reasons that he worked hard at staying human, so as to not worry anyone.

"You think a ghost would at least be smart enough to not rest on top of a ghost hunter's _house_." Tensing up at the familiar voice, he glanced back, working at swallowing down the fear he felt. Maddie was standing behind him, shawl wrapped around her shoulders from the cool night air. "Hello, Phantom. Late night flight?"

"You- Uh, you could say that," Danny mumbled, quietly floating up, keeping himself as small as possible. He really, _really_ didn't want to get shot at. "Can't sleep?"

"In a way, I suppose," Maddie shrugged, looking uncaring as she glanced over the city. "Is there a reason you decided to visit?"

"Um- Just...this has one of the best views, I guess. And flying can get kind of tiring." She wasn't shooting or threatening him, at any rate. He supposed that was good. He _hoped_ that was good. "I...I can leave?"

"For some reason, I can't get the thought out of my head that the sudden ghostly peace has to do with _you_." Danny nervously backed away again, Maddie only looking at him with an amused look. "It's safe to say you've changed their minds before...so why not again?"

"I- I wouldn't really say changed their minds," Danny shrugged, floating away another few inches. "More, like, well, um. They don't _all_ want to fight, and those that do stopped going after humans- I just… Things are peaceful. Isn't that good?"

"And yet the other day you condemned a ghost, one of your own, to death?" At the shocked expression on his face, Maddie gave a humorless chuckle. "Ghosts are my _life_ , Phantom, and this is my town. You think I don't know what goes on?"

"She...I won't say evil, but she certainly wasn't good," Danny defended, resolute in his decision the other day. "She terrorized humans and ghosts alike. When she first appeared, she almost killed your children!"

"Yes, I gathered as much," Maddie frowned, crossing her arms. "I'm certainly not missing her...but it left me wondering. You didn't even destroy that ghost, did you? You had another one do it for you? In fact, with a little persuasion here and there, it seems the ghosts will do anything you say."

"I can tell you for a fact that's not true," Danny snorted. "I just try to get them to see what's right and wrong, and hope for the best from there. But, um, what's your point, here?"

"On some level, you can _control_ the ghosts, influence them into making choices that they normally wouldn't. I'm just wondering, if you decide you get bored of this town and it's humans, or if someone controls _you_ … What's to stop those ghosts from destroying us all?"

"I'd never let that happen!" Danny snapped, fists clenched tightly. "This is my home, too, you know!" At the raised eyebrow, Danny shrunk back, wondering if he had said too much.

"How old are you, Phantom?"

"H-Huh?"

"How old are you." The second time, it wasn't a question. Swallowing, Danny gave a light shrug, looking back to the ground.

"Around sixteen?" He hesitantly spoke, giving another shrug. "Like, how old am I total? Or how old in ghost? Or-"

"How old were you when you died?" Looking up in question and shock, Danny shrunk back at the analyzing gaze in his mother's eyes. He knew she was remembering every word he said, and every action he took. It was something that didn't exactly reassure him, either.

"F-Fourteen." Not technically a lie, at least. He _had_ died when he was fourteen. Sort of.

"You've been a ghost for only two years...and you already have this much power. I wonder how much more power you can hold before it destroys you." Danny watched as she turned on her heel and headed back for the latch, not saying another word to him as she closed it behind her. Panting heavily now, and slightly shaking, he shot down towards the lab, through the portal in seconds.

By the time he arrived at Vidya's, it was close to three am, and he was just barely keeping his transformation together, as evidenced by the fact he fell right out of the air when he arrived on the steps, completely human when he landed on the ground. Hearing worried notes play in his head, he didn't respond, instead choosing to curl up tighter, heart pounding in his chest in...what? Fear? Anxiety? Worry? Adrenaline?

Recoiling at the feeling of something nearby, he looked up to see the two lions, both sniffing him and pawing at him in worry. Not getting a response, he saw one huff, Mufasa, before picking him up with his teeth, carrying him into the library. It was a few moments until the two lions phased into Andrew's bedroom, Sasha pawing at the ghost until she finally pulled him out of bed.

"Ugh! This is why I wanted you deactivated at night! You're like goddamn cats who can get into my room without a fucking care in the world!" Blearily searching for his glasses, Vidya finally throwing them at his head, he grumbled and put them on, shocked when he saw Danny dropped into his lap. He was further confused when the teen immediately clung to him, shoulders shaking, and quiet sobs leaving him.

"I… Right. For now, we're going back to sleep. Then we can talk about what the hell is going on in the morning," Andrew sighed tiredly, carefully pulling Danny to bed, and throwing the covers over them. He had just gotten his eyes closed when he heard two loud thumps, one of the lions sitting on the edge of the bed, while the other sat in the floor next to them. "Twenty years. Twenty years of peace and silence...shattered."

He sighed as one of the lions licked him happily.

* * *

It becomes a habit.


	35. Days Go By

The secret of plaid shall follow Andrew into the void.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Five - Days Go By**

**::**

"I know it's fall...but this seems excessive, even for you." Danny sighed at the look he was given from Sam, glancing down to his jacket and the pair of gloves he had on. "You know it's torture to try and write with those, right?"

"I kind of didn't have a choice," Danny mumbled, tugging the left one off and holding his hand up, Sam's eyes widening at the electrical burns she saw, clear as day. "I ran out of concealer this morning and I didn't have time to get more before school started, so, you know, gloves."

"...Fine. But I'm cutting the fingers off for you, so you can at least pick things up without dropping them two seconds later. And getting you a new jacket, because that one is meant for ridiculous track events, and looking like a dork."

"...I like this jacket."

"It burns today."

::

"Dare I ask?" Seeing the pathetic look on his mate's face, Andrew opened up his arms, Danny gladly falling into them. "I'm assuming Sam managed to convert you to her gothic ways."

"This coming from the hipster that tries to convert him daily," Sam huffed, walking out with Tucker still taking pictures of Danny. "I only gave him a _little_ eyeliner. You can't tell me he doesn't look good with eyeliner!"

"...Your words hold truth," Andrew nodded, ruffling Danny's hair, and destroying any form of shape the hair gel had caused. "I don't try to convert him to being hipster, however."

"Oh please, the second I see plaid in your closet, I'll have proof!" At the silence, Sam rose an eyebrow. "You do, don't you?"

"...No." At Danny's quiet laugh, Andrew hugged him closer, trying to smother the sounds. "Of course I don't." Sam only raised her eyebrow higher, Andrew giving a pleasant smile.

"Uh huh… Why are you here today, anyways? Missed your mate that much?"

"That, and I'm avoiding my brother," Andrew sighed, finally letting Danny go, the teen only clinging to his hand happily as they moved away from the school, the students by now far too used to seeing Andrew there to pick up Danny.

"What did your brother do _this_ time?" Sam asked curiously, rolling her eyes at Andrew's dramatic sigh. She was positive Danny had corrupted him, since she didn't remember him being this dramatic when they met...then again, this _was_ the man who had trapped them all in a poem.

"He seems to think he needs to do something special for my birthday," the ghost rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. "Even after the disaster that was the one when we _were_ alive." Glancing back at seeing Danny had stopped, he flinched at the look that was torn between excitement and hurt.

"It's your birthday...and you didn't tell me?!" Oh god no he was doomed. "No- We- We have to fix this. Right now. We are fixing this! Right now!" Andrew only looked over to Sam, who grinned wider.

"Forget it, you're not escaping this. Really, you should have seen this coming. He's been trying to plan something for months, but he never knew _when_ your birthday was." Andrew sighed, already knowing it was going to be a long day.

"Dare I ask what he's been planning?" Seeing both friends shrug, he sighed again.

"HEY! CLOCKWORK! I KNOW YOU HAD TO SEE THIS, COME ON, WE NEED A PORTAL HERE!" Wincing at the loud volume, it took a few seconds for the words to register, and when they did, Andrew was much more worried.

"Danny...Danny, why do we need a portal?" Seeing a time portal open in front of them a second later, Andrew tried to back away, unsuccessful due to the stubborn halfa still clinging to him. "Danny- What are you doing, Danny-?"

"Birthdays." With that, as well as a manic grin, the writer found himself pushed into the portal, Danny smiling and waving at his friends. "Bye, see ya guys tomorrow!" Humming happily to himself, he stepped through the portal, glancing back to make sure it had closed. "See, I had a plan!"

"One that involved throwing me into a portal through time?" Andrew half groaned, half asked, picking himself up off the floor and glancing around the dimly lit hallway they were in. "Where are we, anyways?"

"Don't you mean _when_ are we?" At the unimpressed look he was given, Danny nervously coughed into his fist. "Right, well, I actually put a lot of thought into this! You made my birthday so great, even with most of it a little blurry because I was still sick- But, um, anyways, yeah. I wanted to make yours just as great."

Grabbing the ghost's hand, he tugged him along the hallway, looking around for the door that he knew should be there. "Clockwork went over the layout with me before leaving, so we should be...right around… Ah! Here." Opening the door, he pulled Andrew inside, gesturing grandly with this arms. "Welcome to the Library of Alexandria!

"Of course, it's night time, so we don't mess with any timeline things, so it might be a bit hard to read what you want to, but, um, yeah. You said some knowledge transferred over to Vidya, but not all of it, so, yeah. Thought you might like it-" He was abruptly silenced in a way that he very much enjoyed. By the time he was let go, his hair was standing on end, as if it had been shocked, and his neck had a few more bruises. He was also happily giggling. "Is that yes to liking it?"

He took the overwhelmed hug as a good thing.

::

Glancing back at the portal he had formed, Clockwork raised an eyebrow as the Ghostwriter happily smiled at him, "And? How many scrolls did you steal?"

"I'm saving them," Andrew denied, hugging the scrolls tighter to his chest, a few more floating around and following him. At the look he was given from the timekeeper, he gave a huff. "Well, it's not like they were going to be of use much longer!"

"Mhm."

"I can related to burning knowledge, is all." Clockwork only gestured to Danny, who was tugging an ice made wagon filled to the brim with as many scrolls as they had been able to fit in. Andrew glanced back, pausing before giving another smile. "Research."

Clockwork waved them off with a sigh, the two happily returning to Vidya with scrolls that the world hadn't seen in thousands of years. By the time they had managed to get them sorted in the archives, it was well past nightfall, and Danny was relaxing on Sasha, who had been in charge of pulling the wagon around.

"I'm curious, how long does it take for your ice to melt?"

"Far as I know? It doesn't," Danny snorted, pulling himself up on the lion's head to see Andrew curiously looking at the wagon he had made. It was one of his better attempts at sculpting things with his ice core, at least. "I mean, it's usually destroyed since I mainly use it in battle, and all. As for melting? I don't know."

"It's been almost five hours and it's still as solid as when you made it," Andrew hummed, lightly tapping one of the wheels with his shoe. "I'm impressed."

"I am an impressive person," Danny grinned, sliding back down to rest on Sasha's back. "I am also exhausted. I never knew how _big_ that place was- Hey, why didn't _all_ the knowledge cross over to Vidya? Why only some of it?"

"Far as I've found, it was the most remembered, or well-read ones that crossed over," Andrew hummed, directing Sasha to take the wagon somewhere where it would be out of the way. "Everything else was lost, well, until now."

"I am the best gift giver," Danny nodded in satisfaction, yelping as Sasha abruptly shook him off. He was saved from hitting the floor as Andrew caught him, close to laughing. "I might use them as beds just a little bit too much."

"Just a little," Andrew agreed, leaving the archives with Danny still in his arms, who only happily wrapped his arms around Andrew's neck.

"You're not letting me down, are you?"

"I certainly didn't plan on it." Danny snorted, letting his eyes close as he gave a content sigh. Today may have been tiring, but it was also fun. _Very_ fun, since Andrew had kept stopping every ten minutes to show him affection.

"For once, I'm not the most clingy," Danny chuckled, not bothering to open his eyes as he felt himself set down on the bed, jacket and shoes phased off of him. "It is a very novel feeling, one that I'm sure to enjoy." Hearing a quiet chuckle, he happily cuddled into his mate once he laid down, clinging fiercely.

"Yes, you're _certainly_ not the most clingy between the two of us." Danny only hummed, just starting to fall asleep when he heard two loud thumps.

"Andrew...why...are the lions in here?"

"Ignore them. If I'm lucky, it won't become a habit." Danny bit his cheek as he dimly saw one of the lions lick Andrew's cheek, dropping back down into the floor with a happy noise.

"I think it already is a habit." Danny laughed as he heard vague French complaints, his mate pulling him in tighter. "On the bright side, at least Randy didn't manage to find you."

"He's been trying to get in for the past four hours, I've had Vidya keep him out." Danny choked on another laugh, glancing up to Vidya. "She was most happy to help."

"I bet." Shaking his head, Danny blindly reached for the blankets, tugging them over. "Night, mon ange."

"Bonne nuit, mon cher."

Yeah, he enjoyed the perfect days.

::

"Hey there, Danny." Blinking up at the A-Lister that sat down in front of him, Danny nervously looked around for any form of backup, nervous when he saw all three of his friends were missing from the cafeteria. "You know, it's been sooo long since we've talked!"

"I thought...that was because you hated me," Danny mumbled, uncomfortable at Paulina's light laugh. _Why_ had it taken him so long to see how terrible she treated others? ...Oh, right. Vapid beauty. "Is there...something you need? Advice about ghosts? Help? A sacrifice?" More laughter.

"Danny, you're so funny! Don't be silly, I just wanted us to catch up! We're friends, aren't we?" At the fluttering eyelashes, and warm smile, Danny gave a hesitant nod. It would do better to just agree and _then_ escape. "Now that you bring ghosts up, though, I _do_ have a question."

"Oh, uh, sure?" Paulina sighed quietly, worried expression on her face that was too 'cute' to be real, hair falling over one of her eyes. The urge to run and hide for the doom he felt ready to hit was great indeed.

"See, it's just that, well…" Nervously fidgeting with her fingers, Paulina finally glanced up, giving a shy smile. "You know I like Phantom, but I don't really think he likes me back… I suppose I just wanted to know if you knew where he hangs out, so I can talk to him? Really get his opinion of me, so I can put this whole thing to rest!" Well...that sounded decent. "I know you know a little bit about him, being the son of ghost hunters, and all. Think you can help me out, Danny?"

"I, uh...I guess he hangs around the park a lot?" Danny half asked, shoulders hunched in nervousness. Paulina seemed sincere, but there was something about this that was _wrong_. "You might try there?"

"Oh, I knew you'd be willing to help!" Paulina smiled, hands clasped together in joy. "Thank you sooo much, Danny. I just really want to get things sorted, you know? Teenage drama takes _so_ much energy to deal with, and I'm ready to move past this point of my life."

"I- Ah. No problem?" Paulina gave a last smile, jumping up and flouncing off, Danny nervously gathering his things and heading for his next class. He wasn't _that_ hungry, and that meeting had unnerved him more than he wanted to admit. A quick meeting at the park, though… He supposed it wouldn't hurt.

After all, what could go wrong?

::

Not seeing his friends the rest of the day, Danny was further unnerved, finally slipping into an alleyway to change into his ghost half after school ended. Clutching his scarf, he headed to the park, glancing around until he finally spotted Paulina, the girl immediately waving him over. "Oh, um, hi. Paulina, right?"

"Right! I'm glad you remember me," Paulina smiled, Danny noticing that she wasn't doing any of her usual over the top flirting. Maybe she really _had_ been serious. "Did Danny Fenton pass on my message?"

"Fenton? We don't really talk, just know each other in passing, really," Danny shrugged, looking as nonchalant as possible. "Being a ghost, you run into all the ghost hunters eventually."

"Oh? Curious, I didn't know he actually _hunted_ the ghosts," Paulina hummed, eyes slightly narrowing. "I just always thought it was his parents… Anyways, I wanted to talk to you, Phantom- Oh, that's right, your first name is Danny, right?" At the hesitant nod, Paulina's smile grew just a little bit wider. "It's funny, you know, that your name is the same as the son of ghost hunters!"

"H-Heh, yeah. Ironic, I guess," Danny shrugged, feeling even more nervous. "You wanted to talk about something?"

"Now that I think about it, you two even look a little alike," Paulina chuckled, taking a step closer, Danny flinching back. "He wears a scarf just like the one you wear! And, you know, it's weird, he got those tacky colored tips the day you seemed to… You two really are alike, huh?"

"L-Like I said, it's just, um, ironic?" And no, no, no, no, no, this was one of his _worst_ nightmares. Someone finding out. Someone being able to _use it_ against him. "Is Fenton all you wanted to talk about?"

"Even your voices sound the same, when I think about it. I suppose it's just a coincidence!" Paulina laughed, smile a little too much like a smirk. "A whole stack of them…" Ready to go into full blown panic, the two were startled by a voice greeting them.

"Hey, Paulina, hey, Phantom." The two looked over, shocked to see...Danny Fenton. "Paulina, didn't you have cheerleading practice today?"

"I…" Paulina looked between him and Phantom, finally nodding with a broken expression. "I was so sure… But...yeah… Yeah. Cheerleading." Waiting until the girl was out of sight, Danny let out a sigh of absolute relief, falling out of the air and clutching his chest, ghostly rings turning him back into his human half.

"Oh my god, I thought I was so busted there." Glancing over, he saw Amorpho, radiating amusement. "Dude. Dude, I totally owe you one- But- How did you know-"

"That would be your mate," Amorpho chuckled, gesturing to Andrew, who was walking up to him in his human form with a smug expression, pausing to press a kiss to Danny's temple. "He's quite clever, it seems."

"Sam and Tucker caught me after school, told me about how those horrid classmates of yours kept them all away from you, so you didn't think anything was wrong. Amorpho here was only too happy to help." Andrew laughed as he was tackled by his mate, quickly catching them before they could hit the ground.

"You are the best person ever and I thought I was so doomed," Danny whined, burrowing into Andrew's chest and clinging to him. "That was horrible. Jeez, her acting lessons from last year really paid off, too. Oh, yeah! Amorpho, have you ever thought about visiting the drama department at the college? I'm pretty sure they would _love_ you."

"Hm, the thought is certainly an intriguing one," Amorpho hummed, tapping his cane in thought. "I think I will take your advice, Phantom." Tipping his hat, he chuckled. "Good day, Phantom, Ghostwriter." In a flash, Amorpho was gone, an average pigeon flapping it's wings before taking off.

"Okay, okay. But, how did you get Amorpho here so fast? How did you even know where he _was_?"

"Mm, I might have changed reality to where he was conveniently in front of the school, instead of wherever he had been." Danny clung tighter, smiling happily. "I should have let them drown on that camping trip."

"Please stop threatening death to my classmates. _Again_."

"I make no promises, mon cher."

::

The next day, in one of the few classes he didn't share with his friends, Danny doodled in his notebook. Most of them were an angry looking form of Paulina, in a simplified style. He still had his gloves on as well, absently wondering how much more concealer would cost. Seeing two hands slam down in front of him, and rattle his desk, the teen jumped, immediately flipping his sketch book closed.

"Hey there, _ghost boy_." Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. "Duplication is a ghost power, right?" Danny glanced around for an escape, looking to see Dash, Kwan, and Star blocking all exits, although he was confused to see that Star had her arm in a cast. "I figured it out during cheer practice yesterday- Star may have been a casualty- But that doesn't matter!"

Danny only gulped, wishing that he hadn't banned _all_ ghost attacks on the school. He could certainly use one, right about now. Leaning closer, Paulina glared at him intently. "You've been growing up with all of us, and Phantom didn't show up until only two years ago… I may not know what you're pulling, but rest assured, I _will_ figure it out."

Danny watched her walk away, head hitting his desk a few moments later. While he was sure he could deal with Paulina, somehow, it was still annoying.

Fate had something against him, surely.

* * *

ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE ALEXANDRIA LIBRARY LOST! _ALL OF IT! **AAARRRGGGHHHHH!**_


	36. Halloween

Halloween is a fun time for all - unless you're the average citizen of Amity Park.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Six - Halloween**

**::**

"Any more problems with Paulina?" Danny sighed as he and his friends walked to school, feeling more exhausted than usual. It was an effort just to focus on walking. "You know, besides the fact Miss Priss knows your secret."

"I...I was trying not to think about that, but, thanks, Val. That really helped." Feeling the pat to his back, Danny sighed again. "I mean, I knew I couldn't keep my secret forever, but for _Paulina_ to figure it out? That...that's just vaguely insulting."

"Never underestimate the obsessive need and power of a fangirl," Tucker nodded wisely, Sam and Valerie both giving him raised eyebrows. "Hey, I speak the truth! She hasn't told anyone, I don't think, at least- Except Wes, who's been trying to prove you're Phantom since the beginning."

"What?! And you never thought to tell me this?!" Danny panicked, clutching his chest in terror, heart pounding. "How many people know?! Oh my god, I'll have to go into hiding, I'm doomed. I thought it was just you guys- But no, I've been an idiot. Of _course_ others would figure it out. And if they can, what's to stop my parents from figuring it out?!"

"Whoa, Danny, calm down," Sam soothed, putting her hands on Danny's shoulders and attempting to calm him down. "We do interference all the time, I mean, they only have suspicions. We never told you because we knew you'd worry. It's _fine_ -"

"It's not fine! If they can figure it out, what's to stop my _mom_ from figuring it out?! She's been studying ghosts half her life, you think she won't piece this together if others are starting to?! What's to stop me from ending up strapped down to that lab table and being cut open?! What's to stop them from enacting out every single nightmare I've had about them since I was _ten_?!" Cutting himself off, his eyes widened as he realized what he had said, hands covering his mouth.

"Danny-" The teen vanished, changing into Phantom as soon as he was clear, and heading for anywhere _but_ school. He was halfway to...somewhere, when he felt someone collide with him in midair. Groaning, he looked up, smiling widely as he saw someone rubbing their own head.

"Oow, why do you keep running into me?!" Elle asked in a huff, laughing as she was tackled into a hug. "Seriously, you need to look at where you're going!"

"Hey, you're the one who's always crashing," Danny complained, poking the girl's side and smiling at the startled laughter. "Has the mighty Princess of Roaming finally decided to grace Amity Park with her presence?"

"I find that rude," Elle whined, smile on her face anyways. "And yes, I have! Although Daddy's been keeping me up to date." She must mean Clockwork, then. Which, really, he should have expected that. The ghost _was_ the doting type. "I hear _someone_ got himself a boyfriend~"

"Oh, hush, you," Danny muttered, poking her sides again. He was elbowed in his stomach for his trouble, which led to an hour long chase through Amity Park, the two finally collapsing in the park, both exhausted. "So, what trouble have you been getting into?"

"Every kind of it, of course," Elle laughed, sitting up and soaking in the weak rays of the sun, autumn leaves falling down from the trees around them. "I spent summer in Japan, so that was cool. I decided to come back and visit Amity for Halloween, though."

"As you should! What better place than the town crawling with ghosts?" Danny half asked, sitting up himself. "So, how long are you staying this time?"

"November 1st and I'm on a path straight to New York." At the raised eyebrow, she gave a shrug. "I want to see if it's as great as everyone says."

"Fair enough, make sure to be careful though- Yeah, yeah, I know, you can take care of yourself. As official older brother, though, I have the right to worry!"

"You're as protective as Jazzy." Elle squealed as she was suddenly drawn into another tickle attack, the chase back on through the skies of Amity Park. It was around noon when Danny finally told her about half the school thinking he was Phantom. "Well, they're not wrong."

"That's the _problem_. How am I supposed to convince them I'm not?! I mean, duplication is obviously out, there has to be _something_." Elle shrugged, thinking it over.

"Maybe you could make a show of catching 'Phantom' in the thermos?" Danny only groaned, flopping onto the ground in defeat. "You're doomed, aren't you?"

"Yeah...I think I'm doomed. If I'm lucky, though, they just won't say anything." At Elle's look, he gave a sigh. "I know...I'm _really_ doomed."

::

After bidding farewell to Elle, who had gone off to find Jazz and Clockwork, Danny managed to make it back to his room before he collapsed, ghost form fading into his human one. Panting heavily, he slumped to the floor, too weak to even scream at the pain in his back. He was used to it hurting, but this felt _so much worse_. Like he was being torn apart at the seams, picked apart one thread at a time.

" _He's too young! Why would you agree to let him have the position?!"_ Danny groaned at the distant words that echoed in his ears, trying to swat them away, only to let out a whimper at the stab of pain to his back. " _He's nothing but a child! Young, untrained, volatile- Do you know how much could go wrong?!"_

" _You worry far too much. You know we are hardly in control of these matters. He was picked because he was meant for it. It's as simple as that."_ Flashes of red and gold and black. Flashes that had him gritting his teeth and clutching his head, shivers running through him. " _I have a good feeling about him. He may not have been born for the task...but I have no doubt he'll accomplish it with grace."_

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut _up, shut up, shut up,_ _ **shut up.**_ " They had been wrong. They had been so, so, _so_ wrong, and they had paid for it, were paying for it, and they would always pay for it. There was no escaping the _fate_ they had been given.

" _You trust too easily...that might just be your downfall one day…"_

" _Seeing the good in others, and trusting, are two entirely different matters, my dear."_

It was night when the snatches of conversations he had heard faded away to nothing, Danny tiredly uncurling himself and crawling for the bed, pulling himself up and collapsing into a heap. He knew he wasn't exactly healthy, but it had never been this bad… Voices in his head? Pain that kept getting worse? Things he shouldn't be seeing?

It was ridiculous, and pointless. His body already tortured him enough, his mind didn't need to help. If only he could actually get some rest without being woken up by pain or nightmares. That would be a _blessing_. Just silent, still rest. A rest where it was just...peaceful. Like fading, he supposed. That might be nice… Fading away…

Jerking up with a startled gasp at realizing just what he had been thinking, Danny looked down to his hands in terror. No, just his imagination… It had to be. It _had_ to be. Tucking his arms closer to him, and pulling his knees up, the teen shuddered, burying his head in his knees.

"Just my imagination. Just my imagination. _Please_ just be my imagination…" He was only _sixteen_. He still had so much to do! He knew- But _sixteen_. Shaking his head again, Danny let out a shaky sigh, voice weak. "Please be my imagination...please don't let me be fading…"

He didn't want to die...not again.

::

"Just for the record, I think this is a terrible idea," Tucker stated, looking at the ghosts and human assembled around him, pharaoh outfit on him instead of his usual clothes. "A massive Amity Park Haunt Fest? I just...this won't end well. It can't."

"You can take the candy that the terrified kids drop," Elle suggested sweetly, Tucker giving her a flat look before slowly grinning.

"This is going to be the best day." Jazz sighed as she massaged her temples, wondering if it was too late to escape this crazy mess before it got worse. At the light tap to her shoulder, she glanced back to see a human Clockwork, still dressed in his timekeeper clothing.

"They dragged you into this too?" At the weary sigh, she gently patted him on the shoulder. "Couldn't say no?"

"I am remarkably weak when they team up," he muttered, sighing again as Danny and Elle both flew over to hug him, grinning widely. "I regret telling you about ghosts who haunt humans for fun."

"As you should!" Danny grinned widely, bouncing up and down in his rather cliche hero costume. He was in his ghost form, still, but with the added addition of a rather well made Hawkeye costume, fake arrows and bow on his back, well, they all assumed it was fake. "Come on, have a little fun! This will be great!"

"I'm in agreement with petit mec!" Randy grinned, twirling his guns and putting them back in his holsters, every inch of the cliche wild west star. "This is going to be great! Plus, half the ghosts are in on it too- Wait...where's Andy?" At Danny's evil cackle, the others all slowly looked at him in worry, remembering that Hawkeye, while a hero, had also at one point been a _villain_.

"He, ah, he lost a bet," Danny grinned wickedly, disappearing upstairs and returning moments later with a blushing Andrew, who was wearing a rather well fitted Black Widow costume. "He learned not to make bets with me."

"Petit mec...I love you," Randy quietly said, reaching for his own phone to take a picture, whining as it was snapped in half by a knife. "Where are you even keeping those?!"

" _I will kill you as you sleep, brother_ ," Andrew hissed, looking ready to throw a knife at anyone else who commented. " _Death upon your head._ " Danny only smiled, kissing the writer's cheek.

"Now, let's go!" Bouncing for the door again, he laughed as Elle was already there, masked thief costume swirling around her. Sam was taking pictures of all the costumes, amused that Danny had found a way to have him and Andrew wear couple costumes. "Oh, yeah, I also enlisted some help."

"Define...help," Valerie finished her sentence with a sigh, at seeing just who was outside Fenton Works. Two stone lions, as well as a monster formed Cujo, all wagging their tails. Danny was the first to fly over and scratch behind Cujo's ear, Elle eagerly flying over to pet one of the lions. "Isn't that the dog who tried to destroy my life?"

"Aw, he's such a sweetie though!" Danny cooed, laughing as Cujo tried to hug him back as best he could. "Plus, the lions really like him. I think he's Alpha of their little pack." As the others talked and argued, Jazz looked to Andrew, raising an eyebrow at the look she was being given.

"Alice? Really?"

"Why not, everyday feels like I've fallen down a rabbit hole," Jazz snorted, watching with slight worry as the Phantoms discussed something quietly and then tackled Clockwork back inside, much to his displeasure. "What do you bet they're changing his costume?"

"Most likely," Andrew nodded, wondering if he could survive Danny's sadness if he destroyed his costume. He probably couldn't, but he might be willing to try. "Probably to match yours." At the look, Andrew grinned. "Half of tonight's candy haul."

"Deal," Jazz grinned, shaking hands and then watching as Danny and Elle came back out, dragging a reluctant Clockwork with them, who looked ready to trap them in the Fenton Thermos himself. The Mad Hatter costume on him was obvious. "Son of a bitch."

"I shall enjoy eating your candy tonight, Jasmine," Andrew grinned, sighing as one of the stone lions came over to nudge him back to the others. "Blasted things."

"Now! Onwards into the night!" Danny dramatically declared, Valerie throwing her shield at his head, smiling at the glare she was given as he dodged it, shield coming back to her with a handy piece of ghost tech.

"Someone had to do it," she shrugged, leaping on top of one of the lions and standing astride, arms crossed in her Lady Sif costume. "Tonight is about terrifying Amity, not looking cute."

"I am in agreement for once," Sam nodded, pulling herself up on her own lion, sitting daintily in her gothic queen dress on the lion's head, smile fair but wicked. "Let's show Amity just _who_ they should be fearing."

"ONWARDS!" Elle cackled, on Cujo's back, as they all rushed forward, Danny humming as he floated next to Andrew and Randy's sides.

"This may have been a terrible plan…"

Six hours, one terrorized town, five traumatized ghost hunters, three crying little kids, forty screaming teenagers, and candy to last until Easter.

It had been a _great_ plan.

* * *

You have all the pieces, but I wonder...can you put the puzzle together before the last page?


	37. Family

It's a rather nice feeling...having a family.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Seven - Family**

**::**

"You know, I haven't seen you in your ghost form lately." Danny looked up from where he was sketching Valerie, who was giving him a curious, and somewhat worried, look. "I mean, I know Paulina and Wes are determined, but not _that_ determined."

"Y-Yeah, I guess." Giving a shrug, the teen went back to sketching, lasting three seconds under the glare he was given. "I've just been tired lately, is all. It takes energy to switch between forms, you know!" At the dignified huff he gave, Valerie rolled her eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is, it's not like Phantom is needed right now, I mean, the ghosts are all getting along...mostly."

"What do you mean by 'mostly'?" In answer, Danny flipped to another picture in his sketchbook, flipping it around to show Valerie. "Nice use of devil horns."

"Come on, you can't tell me Vlad doesn't deserve devil horns," Danny argued, flipping the book back to where he had been working on Valerie's picture. "His hair might as well be devil horns, the way it's styled."

"Does nothing to explain the mounds of skulls and bones I saw in the background."

"Aesthetic," Danny smiled, gently smearing the pencil marks around the hair, doing his best to add the wild look it so often possessed. "On the flip side, though, I've seen the Red Huntress around town quite a bit. Can't stay out of the skies?"

"It is rather difficult," Valerie mused, glancing at the front of the room where the teacher was asleep. "I don't know, just feels better being in the air. Plus it's great for soothing my thoughts, you know?"

"Don't I ever," Danny snorted, adding a holster slung around the girl's hip, ecto pistol in her hands and charging up. "Like as long as you're in the air, nothing bad can really happen, right?" At the nod, he gave a smile. "Yeah...it's a good feeling."

"Then why haven't you been flying lately?" Danny shrugged, adding a few finishing touches, and then gently blowing away eraser shavings and graphite flakes. "Guy like you? You seem like someone who couldn't stay out of the air no matter what."

"Yeah… Guess I've just been busy, lately." Busy trying to change, and finding it harder and harder. Whether going from ghost to human, or human to ghost, each change took his breath, and left him shivering for minutes at a time, pain wracking through his body. He'd rather not think behind the reasons, either. "I'll be fine, Val."

"You sure?" Pausing at the question, Danny gave a quiet laugh, sound more broken than it should have been.

"No...not really."

::

"Yo, petit mec!" Randy watched in amusement as the teen jumped from where he had been drawing on his bed, glasses slipping off, eyes green, and hands building up with energy. "Relax, it's just your brother-in-law!"

"You know, Andrew and I aren't married yet," Danny muttered, ghostly energy leaving him as he looked at the smoking remains of his pencil, sighing and tossing it aside. "Dare I ask why you're here, and, is it an answer I'm going to regret hearing?"

"I'm just here to collect you!" Danny blinked as he was suddenly picked up by the back of his jacket, Randy phasing them down to the basement. It wasn't until they were in the Ghost Zone that he was struggling to get free, past events finally catching up with him.

"What the hell are you doing?! Kidnapping me?!"

"Sort of kind of," Randy shrugged, looking unbothered at the the struggling teenager in his grasp. "Come on, don't you own a calendar? It's Thanksgiving!"

"...And?" At the look, Danny gave as best a shrug as he could. "Dude, we don't really do Thanksgiving. It's just another day, as far as I'm concerned." Not like his parents ever came out of the lab long enough to sit and eat with them, anyways.

"Luckily, I'm pushy, and your sister is a genius!" With that, Danny yelped as he was dropped out of the air, blinking in confusion as Andrew easily caught him.

"Didn't I ask you to be _careful_ when getting him?" At his brother's shrug, Andrew gave a sigh. "Vous êtes une catastrophe." Danny, slightly disorientated, glanced around, surprised to see that they were heading into the Clock Citadel.

"Um...what just happened?"

"Kidnapping!" Danny blinked as Elle suddenly appeared in front of him, Andrew finally setting him down as the girl tackled him. "Thanksgiving kidnapping, actually. Fun, right?"

"...No. Not really," Danny muttered, glaring up at Randy, who gave a cheery wave. "I thought you were in New York?"

"I was, but Jazzy and Daddy decided to come get me for Thanksgiving," Elle smiled, in her human form as well, as she started pulling Danny along by his hand. "And, well, you know. Free food. How could I say no to that? Besides, Daddy said he'd put me back where they found me after it was over."

"Fair enough, I suppose," Danny laughed, nose twitching at all the smells he was starting to notice. "Please tell me Jazz didn't help cook."

"No, she didn't," Andrew chuckled, throwing a knife at Randy as he passed by, the older brother easily plucking it out of the air and tossing it back, Andrew catching it with practiced ease. "She tried, but Clockwork kept distracting her while Randy and I cooked everything."

"Hopefully their cooking is better than Jazzy's," Elle grinned, Danny patting her head in amusement, small chuckle escaping him.

"After eating Andrew's food for months, I can say with _certainty_ that his food is _definitely_ better than hers. Not sure about Randy, though."

"I'm a better cook," Randy grinned, dodging the knife thrown at him. Danny was by now getting used to his mate randomly throwing knives at his brother, Randy often throwing them back to him. "He just doesn't like to admit it."

"You burned down the church we were hiding in because you tried to fix yourself something to eat," Andrew muttered, looking at Danny, who was biting his lip in order to not laugh. "What?"

"You were called the Priest of Death...and you burnt down a _church_. I just. I am amused." Not much more conversation was had, since they were then dragged into one of the spare rooms, large meal laid out that reminded Danny of something he might see in a movie, or in a book. "I...am impressed."

It was halfway through the meal that he realized he had a _family_ again. He didn't mean Sam, Tucker, Valerie, who were the best friends he had ever had and in a category all their own, but an actual _family_. It was a novel feeling, one that he did his best to tuck away into his memories. It was something he didn't want to forget, not ever.

::

"Complain one more time. See what happens."

"But Saaaam. This is so booorring!" Danny whined, rather impressively, as he trudged after his friend. Sam, on her part, only jerked the teen's coat hood over his head, hoping it would shut him up. "Oh, come on! Why do you need me to help you Christmas shop, anyways? You know how bad I am at this stuff!"

"The only places you go are your house, and Ghostwriter's. _Someone_ had to drag you out." Danny huffed, crossing his arms and turning his head. Considering his hood was still up, that meant he tripped over a trash can and fell to the ground in a rather spectacular display of clumsiness. "Now that? That was amusing."

"You're mean, Sammy," Danny groaned, trying not to show _just_ how badly his back hurt with that fall. The pain had been getting worse, but sometimes he forgot just _how_ bad it was. "Just leave me here. Go on without me!"

"Yeah, no. You need to help carry everything." With that, Danny blinked, confused as he saw ceiling passing in front of him. Tilting his head back, he saw Sam had grabbed his arm and began pulling him through the store, jacket sliding across the polished linoleum rather nicely. "Lucky for me you are very tiny, and I am very strong."

"I cannot argue with this," Danny nodded, happy to be pulled around, well, until it ended him ramming head first into a column, Sam snickering from above. "Nice, Sammy. Nice." Pulling himself up, he kept up his complaints. "But, I mean, come on. It's only the first week of December! Why do we have to shop _now_?!"

"Alright, what are you getting everyone for Christmas?" At the blank look, she gave a sigh. "You don't know, do you?" A shrug and she had to resist the urge to bang her head, or his, against something. "Why don't you use today as a chance to get things for everyone?"

"Because I'm a terrible gift giver?" Danny suggested, staring back at Sam with one of his own flat looks. "Your last birthday, I got you _nail polish_."

"...It was black, at least." Sam patted the teen's back at the hopeless groan he gave. "Well, just, alright. What do you think Tucker wants most right now?"

"I don't know," Danny shrugged. "Probably that new version of Doom he's been eyeing forever- That and the cheat codes for it."

"See? Just get him the game, then! You said you've been saving up all your money from the music store, right?" At the nod, she smiled. "There, see? Problem solved. I'll take care of the cheat codes, though. Might put them in one of those unlocking puzzles, though, just to see him panic a little."

"That is cruel, and I approve," Danny grinned, following Sam into a shop that looked like something the girl's parents would go into. "Shopping for your parents?"

"I have to at least make an _effort_ ," Sam snorted, shuddering as she headed to the floral and pastels section of the store. "I won't ask what you'll get me, since that'll spoil it-" The teen paused to cough, Danny raising an eyebrow at the not so subtle hint of her coughing out what she _did_ want. "-but, what about Val?"

"Hm...she needs a new ecto pistol, her old one broke. I can rifle through the lab for something, maybe upgrade it a little- I can also give her that old pair of goggles I used to use, the ones that sense ghost signatures? Not like I need them, anymore."

"See? You got this! Here's a toughie, though, what are you getting that mate of yours?" At the silence, she looked back, sighing at the broken expression. "You have no idea, do you?"

"Of course I don't! I have nothing! I mean, what would he even want?! Like, I can't top what I gave him for his birthday, or what he gave me for mine! How am I ever supposed to-" Stopping in his tracks, he let out a bright grin, one that made him look even _younger_. "Sammy, I just had the best idea ever!"

"Uh, okay- Hey! Where are you going?!" The teen was already around the corner, Sam shielding her eyes at the flash of bright light she saw. "Danny!"

"Sorry, Sammy! Have to visit Technus!" Shaking her head, Sam went back to shopping, absently wondering what Danny would need from Technus. Andrew wasn't exactly the most tech savvy. In fact, the only thing he really used was his laptop and- Oh… _Oh_.

Danny might just be a genius after all.

::

"I'm not exactly complaining...but why are half your clothes missing?"

" _The lions_ ," Danny hissed in ghostspeak, Andrew only watching his mate peek around the edge of the bookshelf he had found him behind, looking for said stone beasts. " _They decided it would be funny if they took my shirt and jacket!_ "

"You can at least be thankful the scarf was left," Andrew pointed out, smiling at Danny's glare. It was hardly his fault if the teen was so adorable, besides, this way he was able to see just how many bites and bruises the teen had. He had to say, he was rather proud of his work. "How did they get your clothing off of you?"

" _I don't know! I was with Technus-_ "

"You're speaking ghost, mon cher."

" _Huh- Oh._ Oh. Sorry, was irritated. Um, anyways, one second I was with Technus, right? Next second something explodes and I get oil and _everything_ on myself! So I phased what I could off the jacket and scarf, but the shirt was pretty much burned away by the fires, so I came here to change. Then Mufasa grabbed my jacket when I took it off, and Sasha grabbed the new shirt out of my hands! They're evil, I tell you! Evil!"

"Mm. Did you check the gardens?" Seeing the pause, Ghostwriter laughed, nudging the teen towards the very direction he suggested. "Come on, they're probably there and enjoying playing with their new toys."

"Yeah, yeah. Just wait until I find them, those little- Wait. Don't you usually walk beside me?" Glancing back, Danny blushed at the wicked smirk he was given.

"I do, yes. For now, however, I'd rather like to enjoy the view."

"You...I don't have words." Luckily, the lions were indeed in the garden, as well as in possession of his missing clothing. It took only fifteen minutes to get it back from them, and another half hour to actually get the clothing _on_. What could he say, though?

He was easily distracted.

::

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." Danny paced around the gardens, movements erratic, as his hands covered his head, eyes wide as he kept jumping at each noise he heard. The pain was hard enough to deal with, but _the voices_. Snatches of conversations, words he didn't understand, and glimpses of things he could never hope to make sense of.

If the pain wasn't killing him, the nightly attacks certainly were. It was all he could do to avoid the others during his attacks, not wanting to let them know just how bad it was. He was starting to regret that decision, though, because the thought of curling up in someone's lap, and have them lie and say everything would be okay, would be _great_ right about now.

"Danny? What are you doing out here?" Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit_.

"Oh, you know, just looking at the stars," Danny chuckled, giving a vague gesture to the glass dome, which showed an image of what the human skies would look like. "Couldn't sleep, I guess. Decided to just wander around and ended up here, heh."

"Mm, strange, since you usually sleep rather well." Shit. Just how bad did he look? He hoped the bags under his eyes weren't noticeable. Or the lines. Or the neverending fear and terror in his eyes. He _really_ hoped that wasn't noticeable.

"Yeah, says the one who sleeps like the _actual_ dead," Danny snorted, arms behind his back, and nails digging into whatever skin he could reach. Keep it together, Danny. No need to worry your mate with your supposed insanity and descent into death. Nope. No need at all. "Weren't you working on your super secret project that you won't tell me about, though?"

"We've been over this, mon cher, it's hardly fair to let you see your Christmas present early." Danny only grinned, just barely hearing the words over the ones that kept screaming and pounding in his head. If he could just get through the next ten minutes. Just reassure Andrew, find an excuse to escape, crawl back into the deepest part of Vidya he could find, and then _never leave_. "Are you sure you're alright? Vidya says she can't hear you…"

"Hm? Really? Weird, maybe it's just where I don't really _think_ , huh?" Danny joked, absently scratching the back of his head. Louder, louder, louder, _louder, louder, louder, they were getting so much louder_.

"Amusing, but no. She should be able to hear at least the baseline of your thoughts, but it's like...you're not here." Danny jerked back when Andrew lifted his hand, regretting the action at the confused and hurt look on his mate's face. "Danny…"

"I- It's nothing. I just-" Why was everything so _loud_?! It _hurt_. And Andrew was getting closer, and there was a tree blocking him, and he couldn't _feel_ his powers anymore, and- "I just-" The lightest touch of fingers on his cheek, Danny's eyes widening in shock as everything...went silent.

"Danny...you're starting to worry me." No more voices. No more pain. Just...silence. "Are you sure you're alright? Really?" There was nothing in his head but his own thoughts, and Vidya's soothing notes.

"I'm...fine, mon ange." Letting out a sigh of relief, Danny smiled, clasping both his hands around Andrew's, and smiling a bit more brightly. "Just fine." After Christmas. After Christmas he would tell Andrew what was happening to him.

If he lasted that long…

* * *

There can be a lot of comfort in taking refuge next to a loved one.


	38. Christmas Eve

Let's hope no more books burn this time.

Warnings for : brief sexual situations (marked beginning and ending with 'xxx')

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Eight - Christmas Eve**

**::**

"Forget it! You're not getting me out of this room unless it's to drag my cold, _dead_ body to the grave!" Danny had never been so grateful for his ghostly strength as he sat against his door and braced himself against the pushing force of all three of his human friends. "I am never leaving this room! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

"Do you wanna bet, ghost boy?!" Sam screamed, banging on the door and making Danny slightly fear for his life. "You're coming to this holiday dinner with us if it's the last thing I do! It's Christmas _Eve_ , Danny! You can't stay in there for the holidays!"

"I am not coming out! Last year I pissed off someone enough to get trapped in a poem- Who knows what could happen this year?! You can't make me!" The banging suddenly stopped, Danny worriedly glancing back, only to yelp as the door opened a crack, someone having full out ran and kicked it.

"How tough is this door?!" Valerie shouted, cursing as she held her foot, Danny closing the door back with a snap. "Come on, Fenton! Good came out of last year, you met your mate after all, right?"

"I'm not leaving unless it's through death, or the act of an immortal being!"

"See, now I'm curious. Do ghosts count as immortal beings?" Danny slowly turned his head to where he saw Randy grinning gleefully, only a few feet away. Jerking his door open he ran past his startled friends, only making it to the stairs until he was picked up by his shirt.

"No! Goddammit! Put me down, Randy! I am through with family bonding! Not on Christmas, damn you!" Goddammit, why did his powers have to choose _now_ of all times to not be working?! Letting out a stream of ghostspeak, Randy gave a tsk, wagging one of his fingers.

"Tsk, tsk, young Danny! I might have to wash your mouth out with soap! Hey, yo, do you guys mind if I kidnap him for the truce party this year? I already managed to get my brother there."

"Dude, take him," Tucker sighed, looking exhausted. "We've spent hours trying to get him out of that room. Just...take him." Danny hissed out more ghostspeak, Tucker only raising his middle finger, prompting Danny to kick and claw his way down again - to little success.

"How did you get GW there?" Sam asked curiously, Randy giving a nonchalant shrug.

"He may think his mate suffered another mental breakdown. Is lying to a sibling wrong? Probably. Do I really care? Not at all! Now come on, Danny boy, it's off to the truce with you! And remember, no hurting ghosts until after tomorrow!"

"SCREW THE TRUCE! I'M STEALING ONE OF MY MATE'S KNIVES AND SHOVING IT IN YOUR EYEBALL, RANDY!" The three humans waved the cheerful ghost off as he headed into the Ghost Zone, Randy making sure to keep Danny held tightly in his grasp, who was still kicking and clawing to be let down.

Once arriving at Skulker's Island, where the Truce was being held, the ghosts all looked up in amusement at hearing Danny's vicious swears, insults, and curses aimed at the ghost carrying him.

"Come on, Danny boy, cheer up! It's a party!" Randy laughed, dropping the teen into the middle of the island, the teen ducking and rolling and immediately tackling the ghost out of the air, who quickly phased free. "Whoa- Whoa! Truce! Truce!"

"FUCK THE TRUCE! I AM TEARING YOUR EYES OUT MYSELF, YOU PIECE OF WORTHLESS ASSASSIN! WHAT ASSASSIN LET'S HIMSELF GET POISONED BY FUCKING COLLEGE DORMMATES?!"

"They were all so cute, though," Randy whined, staying in the air, and wondering where his brother was, as well as why the teen wasn't changing into his ghost half to fly after him. Seeing Walker come up, he had never felt so relieved.

"Easy there, Ghost Boy. You know the rules-" The ghost raised an eyebrow at the glare he was given by the teen, who was growling. "No breaking the truce."

"Yes, but do we _really_ need Randy?" Danny perked up at hearing his mate, turning around and holding out his hand.

"Andy, I need a knife. I'm going to shove it down your brother's throat." Andrew blinked, slightly surprised at being called a name he usually despised, and how fine he was with his mate calling him it. "Just one knife. One is all I need…"

"Yes, but that would be so hard to clean up, mon cher," Andrew sighed, cupping the teen's cheeks and gently kissing his forehead. "Besides, why give him the relief of death when you can torture him?" Danny narrowed his eyes, slowly looking up to Randy, who gave a nervous smile and wave back.

"Your words hold logic...for now…" Andrew smiled, giving his mate a kiss, amused at how much of the tension drained out of him. Feeling a hand tugging at his pocket, however, the ghost rolled his eyes, pulling Danny into a hug and pinning his arms to his side.

"No truce breaking. Not like last year."

"I was defending myself, I'll have you know!" Danny mock huffed, relaxing into his mate's hold, and starting to cheer up. "Besides, you started it. Haven't you ever heard of back up copies?"

"Mm. One of the reasons I now use a laptop. Also, stop planning my brother's death. Wait until the day after tomorrow."

"Fiiine." Sighing dramatically, Danny fully leaned into his mate's grasp, squeaking when he was suddenly picked up, and carried off. "What- No. I can walk by myself!" Only getting a happy hum in response, Danny sighed, resigned to his fate. "You're not letting me go, are you?"

"Not if I can help it."

Danny managed to deal with two hours of holiday cheer before he was fidgeting and avoiding people, even getting separated from Andrew at one point, which had him where he currently was. Which was hiding. In a tree.

"Any chance you plan on coming down, lil cuz?" Seeing Johnny and Kitty staring up at him, and dressed rather festively, Danny did the only mature thing he could think of. Which was to climb up the tree even more. He managed two more branches before the two were floating in front of him. "Ghost powers, lil cuz."

"I hate Christmas." Seeing Kitty's mouth open, he glared. " _Hate_."

"Aw, come on, Danny! Where's your Christmas spirit?" Kitty asked, pouting dramatically. Danny only stuck his tongue out, the woman rolling her eyes. "Can't you just _try_ to enjoy the party? I mean, Randy's mistletoe trap finally backfired!" At Danny's curious gaze, she grinned. "Technus."

"...I did catch the end of that," Danny admitted, slightly smiling. "His suffering was wonderful. But, seriously, guys. Christmas just really isn't-" The rest of his words were cut off by a scream coming from the other side of the party. Not just a normal scream, but a 'holy shit I'm betting attacked' scream. Considering it was the truce…

Danny slid out of the tree, rings wrapping around him as he fell, flying over to where he heard the screams, the other ghosts doing the same. Instincts registering before thoughts, Danny was the first to land on the ground and throw up a shield, eyes widening as what he saw finally registered. "What...what the hell are those?!"

"They look...like shadows?" A closer look revealed that they weren't just shadows, but shadow _creatures_. Vague, indistinct creatures, but something sinister none the less. Danny winced at the stab of pain in his back, taking a deep breath, and forcing it to the back of his mind. He didn't have _time_ to be hurt, not when people were in danger.

"Whatever they are, they aren't good news," Danny muttered, hissing as one of the shadows touched his shield, power breaking in an instant as he jerked back, Andrew there to catch him in a moment. "Did they...did they just drain my energy?!"

"Definitely doesn't sound good," Randy muttered, most of the ghosts who were used to fighting up front, and ready to deal with the shadows. "That means ecto attacks won't be much help."

"Ah, time for the _hunters_ to shine, then," Skulker grinned, pulling out one of his guns and charging it. "What do you say, Walker, would hunting these things break the truce?" Walker hummed, cut off before he could answer by Danny, who's eyes were glowing a bright blue.

"These creatures aren't ghosts...they don't belong in this world _and someone put them here_. So, I say it's pretty fair game…"

" _ **You are such foolish creatures**_."

"Did...did that shadow just _talk_?" Youngblood asked, hiding behind Dora, who looked just as concerned. "Is that- That's bad, isn't it?"

" _ **You no longer have your precious protectors...your world will fall as it should have all that time ago! You will fall as it should have been!**_ " The ghosts blinked in surprise at the blue blast that hit the shadow, looking back to see Danny baring his teeth in anger, whole aura changed to the same icy blue as his eyes.

"Those are my friends and _family_ you're threatening, you know. And I don't like when my family is _threatened_." A ripple of coarse and cracking laughter rippled over the shadows, another moving to speak.

" _ **And you think you can stop us, child? You who don't even fully belong to this world!? What claim do you have to these proceedings?!**_ "

" _I_ _ **Protect**_ _this world_!" Danny snapped back, aura flaring as he braced himself, power growing. "You chose the wrong person to mess with… You may drain ghost energy...but let's see how you deal with an overdose..." A shrieking wail echoed over the island, ghosts covering their ears and wincing at the pure power the teen had unleashed.

The shadows, indeed overdosed, began hissing and fleeing, barely making it feet away before they vanished in front of the raw power. In moments, the shadows were gone, and a completely human Danny Fenton was standing in front of the total destruction.

Danny lasted five seconds until he fainted.

::

xxx

"You know...I seem to remember...saying something about how I don't faint..."

"Mm, I do vaguely recall that. Would you like me to tell you that you simply lost consciousness instead?" Danny was about to respond before he let out a whimper of pain, a hand immediately brushing through his hair, and pulling him closer. "You didn't tell me the pain was getting worse."

"In my defense, I was waiting until after the holidays," Danny muttered, blearily opening his eyes at hearing faint musical notes. "Are we...in Vidya?"

"I decided that being here was better than staying and answering the questions everyone had," Andrew sighed, helping Danny sit up before pulling him back into his lap, gently and absently tracing circles over his back. "You don't usually faint after using that much power."

"Yeah...that's cause I don't _have_ that much power right now." Feeling the hand stop, Danny let out a sigh. "I haven't been able to change into my ghost half in over a week...I was only able to do it tonight because I knew the others were in danger."

"Oh, Danny...why didn't you tell me?" Danny gave a shrug, wincing at the pain he felt, which was immediately soothed as Andrew ran a hand down his back.

"I don't know...I didn't wanna worry you, I guess," he muttered, noticing the pain was starting to fade in Andrew's presence. "You know, it doesn't hurt as much when you're touching me."

"...Huh?" Danny let out a quiet laugh, moving to wrap his arms around Andrew, and tug him down for an amused and gentle kiss.

"When you touch me, the pain goes away, or starts fading. I don't know why, I just know it does. Why do you think I've been clinging to you nonstop the past few days?"

"I assumed that was your nature in itself," Andrew snorted, shivering at the kisses he felt pressed to his neck, which wasn't exactly helping his concentration. "Wait- Do you mean the pain is constant now?"

"Mhm," Danny mumbled, pressing himself closer to his mate and moving to where he was completely in his lap, chest to chest, and grinning at the startled noise from the other. "Gets worse, when I'm not around you. Longer I'm away, worse it hurts. Don't know why, just know you help."

"And you didn't think to tell anyone?"

"Nope," Danny hummed, tugging at the other's shirt, and grinning at the look he was given. "You help me forget, and right now, I don't want to remember. So, please, help me forget?" Seeing the other ready to answer, Danny pulled him down for another kiss, tugging at his shirt again, and parting just enough to let out a whispered plea. "Andrew... _please_ help me forget."

"We do need to eventually talk about this, Danny," Andrew sighed, Danny recognizing it as a sigh of defeat, and happily nuzzling into his mate's neck. He then sighed in relief as he felt his shirt lifted, the other's hand once again massaging his back, soothing him of the pain that had been hurting him for days.

"Eventually, hm?" Danny asked, eyes fluttering shut as he felt his shirt, scarf, and jacket completely gone, Andrew pressing gentle and tender kisses to his neck and shoulders. "Pretty sure intangibility is cheating, mon ange."

"I certainly don't see you complaining, mon cher," Andrew hummed, smiling at Danny's laugh, and bringing him in for another kiss, this one harder, and more demanding. "What do you want, mon cher?"

"You," Danny breathed out, arms draped around the other's neck as he pressed closer, shivering at the touches that grew harder. "You, and anything you're willing to give me." Hearing a low chuckle, he gave another shiver, hands once more pulling at his mate's shirt.

"Mm, that would be everything, mon cher…" Smiling, Danny gave a light laugh, shivering as the touches began going lower, pain nonexistent as far as he was concerned, thoughts consumed with his mate and the attention that was being lavished upon him.

"Then, Andrew...give me everything."

xxx

* * *

The story's almost over...have you pieced it together?


	39. Merry Christmas

Christmas can be relaxing and wonderful - depending on who you spend it with.

Warnings for : references to sexual situations, utterly domesticated nerds

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Nine - Merry Christmas**

**::**

"Is there a _reason_ you're walking around completely naked?" Danny asked in amusement, working on reaching for pancake mix on one of the shelves. He was too short by a of couple inches, which was his life story, really. Andrew finally took pity and put it into the other's hands with a flick of his fingers. "Thank you, but seriously. Naked. Why?"

"You certainly weren't complaining last night," Andrew grinned, huffing at the pair of jeans and boxers that Vidya dumped on top of him, pausing to send a glare to the ceiling as Danny laughed. "I used to sleep naked all the time before you started staying over, I'll have you know."

"Oh, trust me, I am _definitely_ not complaining here," Danny grinned, pouring the mix into the bowl and turning to get water for it, Andrew using his powers once more to add a few ingredients that would at least help restore some of Danny's ghostly energy. The teen, now pouring water in, didn't even seem to notice the additions. "It's just, you know, I am hungry- Starving, actually. As such, I would like to _eat_ before I work at seducing you back into bed." Andrew bit his lip to hide his laughter, Danny still rambling as he reached for one the pans.

"I mean, I can't do that if I'm hungry, which I am. And you walking around wearing _nothing_ makes me want to seduce you even _more_. So, you know, for now, pants." Turning around to get the batter, Andrew flicked his fingers, adding pam spray to the pan so the pancakes wouldn't stick, setting it back down before Danny noticed. "Yeah, you're not that sneaky."

"I have no clue what you mean, mon cher," Andrew smiled, Danny only rolling his eyes as he poured the batter, setting the bowl back down on the counter.

"You've been helping me cook since you got in here. I'm clueless, Andy, not blind." The ghost only shrugged, Danny sighing dramatically as he fixed a cup of coffee, handing it to his mate. "Here, since this is how you _survive_."

"It is, yes," Andrew hummed, taking a sip and then kissing Danny's cheek in thanks, the teen only rolling his eyes and slightly blushing. "You know, that's the second time you've called me Andy."

"I was hoping you would notice that," Danny grinned, heading back to the stove and looking for a spatula, finding one a second later. "The first time was a slip of the tongue, since, you know, I was trying to kill your brother and all. Second time was a social experiment! I remembered you didn't get mad at me last night, so I wanted to see if your reaction would be different."

"If only you could do as well in English as you do in Science." Danny gave a shrug, flipping the pancakes and working at not getting the sleeves dirty. Considering he was wearing one of his mate's shirts, it was harder than he expected. "By the way, are you wearing my clothes?"

"Yes. I look adorable in them," Danny grinned, pancakes successfully flipped. He glanced back at Andrew, blushing at the look he was given. "Your thoughts are very clear on your face, you know."

"I wasn't exactly trying to hide them, mon cher," Andrew chuckled, Danny sighing dramatically and poking the pancakes, setting the spatula down. Looked like it would take another few minutes, he could have sworn he had the heat on high, though…

"You know, if you wanted to cook, you could have just taken over." Shaking his head at Andrew's innocent look, Danny walked over and lightly hugged him, giving him a quick kiss. "Seriously. You're not that sneaky."

"I am, you're just better at seeing through the things I do." Hand reaching up to rest on the back of the teen's neck, Andrew gave him another small kiss. "How's the pain?"

"Well, it's not exactly sunshine and rainbows," Danny sighed, moving to rest his head on Andrew's shoulder, arms wrapping around the ghost once more. "But it's not getting any worse, so I can be thankful for that, at least." Pausing for a few moments, Danny suddenly pulled back, grin on his face. "So, about that sleeping naked thing? You know, that's something I have no problems with and _absolutely_ encourage."

"Mhm, I bet," Andrew snorted, reaching up to press a kiss to Danny's forehead, who only smiled happily at the action. "Danny?" A content and considering hum. "Your pancakes are burning."

"... _Shit._ " Danny was rushing over to the stove in seconds, turning the fire off and working to get the food out of the pan before it could _completely_ blacken. Andrew only watched with a small smile. It still amazed him that a year ago he had hated this teen with everything in him, and now… He couldn't imagine a world without this clueless and reckless teenager. "No, no, no- Please don't stick! Aw, come on!"

A few more seconds and Danny grinned in triumph, three pancakes stacked on a plate as he held it up in victory. "I am the ultimate cooker!" The teen's hair was an absolute _wreck_ , looking more like a hedge than the usual windswept look it carried, while the clothes were obviously too big on him, and completely dwarfed him. All in all, the teen looked utterly ridiculous. "And see? Only _minor_ burning!"

Setting the plate down on the table, Danny was surprised when his mate suddenly pulled him into his lap, giving him a tender and warm kiss that had him blushing brightly. "U-Um, not that I'm complaining, or anything, because, wow, no. Definitely not complaining. But, uh, what was that for?"

"Merely wanted to remind you how much I love you," Andrew hummed, kissing the other's temple, amused at the blush he saw. Danny may have been forward on most occasions, but the care and concern Andrew lavished on him still overwhelmed him at times.

"Aaannddyyy," Danny whined, burying his face in the crook of his mate's neck. "You're gonna make me cry at breakfast! Don't make me cry at breakfast. That's just sad, and utterly domestic."

"Bit late for that, considering how domestic we already _are_ ," Andrew chuckled, tugging a chair over to him and sitting Danny down, the teen sighing dramatically and taking a bite of his pancakes.

"We're not _that_ domestic," he argued, taking another bite before pausing, running the morning over in his head. "Oh god...we _are_ domestic!" He couldn't find it in him to be upset at the laughter he heard. "We're gonna be that couple that argues over what to buy in Bed, Bath, and Beyond, aren't we?"

"Most likely," Andrew hummed, tilting his head at Vidya's humming. "Someone at the door?"

"Oo, who is it? If it's your brother, I reserve the right to kill him," Danny grinned, Andrew rolling his eyes and placing a kiss to his cheek as he stood up. "Seriously, I reserve the right!"

"Wait until after the holidays, mon cher," Andrew called back, heading to the door after taking a quick sip of coffee. He had a feeling he was going to need it. Seeing just who it was when he opened the door, Andrew gave a sigh. This was going to end _horribly_.

"Wow. Didn't know you actually had muscle definition under that coat of yours," Ember grinned, Kitty choking on a laugh beside her. Andrew only gave a glare, raising an eyebrow as he saw Cujo bark, running past his feet a second later. "Anyways, we came to check on Danny, and Kitty here wouldn't shut up until she made sure her 'lil cuz' was okay."

"Hey! He could have really been hurt last night," Kitty huffed, elbowing Ember. "That and we came to see if you two wanted to go the Christmas party today. I mean, I assume he's here, since you're wearing nothing but pants."

"You should never assume things, Kitty," Andrew tsked, rolling his eyes at Kitty's raised eyebrow. "How do you know he's not at his own home, right now, resting?"

"Well, one, he keeps calling this place his home every time he visits us," Kitty ticked off, Andrew slightly smiling at that. "And two, Cujo."

"That proves nothing-"

"Oh, hi, Kitty. Hey, Ember. What are you guys doing here?" Kitty grinned over at Andrew, who huffed as he crossed his arms. Ember was biting back laughter at Danny, who was wearing Andrew's clothes and had the messiest hair she had ever seen, Cujo happily resting in his arms.

"So, babypop, did you have a fun Christmas Eve?" Ember asked with an innocent smile, Danny tilting his head in confusion before he realized what she meant, face suddenly a bright red. "I'll take that as a yes. Scandalous, too."

"Age of consent _is_ 16, you know," Kitty put in, Ember only giving her a raised eyebrow. "I did my research as a kid, thank you. Although our cute little sophomore with a college student? Now _that_ is scandalous."

"Indeed it is," Ember grinned, looking to Andrew, who narrowed his eyes. "Last I heard you were around 22, right? Six years, hm? _Scandalous_."

"The urge to destroy you is tempting," Andrew grumbled. "Lucky for you, the truce is still in effect. Although that does nothing to stop them." At the gesture behind them, the two women looked to see large stone lions, who were happily wagging their tails. "They just want to play, after all." With that, the door slammed closed, Danny rolling his eyes.

"Way to be dramatic." Andrew only gave a smile, Danny shaking his head and walking away, Andrew giving him a curious look.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, I finished my breakfast, and I mean, I _did_ say something about what we would be doing after that." Setting Cujo down, the puppy barked and ran for the doors, intent on playing with the lions. "And you know, there's still _so much_ of the day to waste…"

"And I take it you know just how to spend the day?" Danny shot back a wicked grin, arms behind his back as he let out a slight hum.

"I have a few ideas…"

::

Hearing his phone ring, and nudge the side of his head, Danny blindly reached out, finally grasping it and flicking the accept call button. "Whaaaat."

" _We just wanted to make sure you weren't dead._ " Judging by all the background noise he heard, he was on speaker. " _I mean, I'm pretty sure you're not dead. Are you dead?_ "

"Well, I mean, not completely," Danny mumbled, settling back down in Andrew's lap, who was too absorbed in his book to notice that Danny was even on the phone, even if he had one hand free to scratch Danny's scalp. The teen would have been lying if he said it wasn't adorable. "How'd last night go for you guys?"

" _Better question is how it went for you._ " And there was Valerie, sounding equal parts amused and worried. " _Creepy shadow demons? Fainting? Disappearing? I mean, I think there's a story there._ "

"First of all...I don't faint." He heard a faint scoff at that, but chose to ignore it. "Second. Creepy shadow demons attacked truce party. I got pissed when they started spewing threats. I might have used all my power up in a ghostly wail. Andrew took me home. I am still here. I am never leaving."

" _How many times have you threatened to never leave Vidya?_ " Tucker asked curiously, Danny giving out a vague mumble that sounded like it was in ghostspeak. " _Dude, have you even slept? You sound exhausted._ " Hearing a suppressed laugh from Andrew, he figured the ghost _was_ paying attention.

"Yes...I slept." Eventually. "I'm fine. Just...very tired." Hearing more laughter, Danny elbowed his mate in the stomach, smiling at the huff he heard.

" _Mhm. I bet you are,_ " Sam snickered, Danny narrowing his eyes at the tone. " _Kitty has a phone, you know. We also happen to be contacts._ "

"Damn her soul to an eternity of cleaning up after Johnny!"

"That's rather cruel, mon cher," Andrew chuckled, scratching Danny's scalp at the glare, and smiling as the teen instantly started relaxing.

" _Have a fun Christmas, then, Danny. We'll be sure to talk_ _ **all**_ _about it when you get back._ " Danny hung up with a snap, throwing his phone across the room, watching as Cujo jumped in the air to catch it, wagging his tail as he brought it back to Danny.

"Thanks, Cujo, but I was trying to be dramatic, there." Cujo only barked, Danny sighing dramatically as he took his phone, tossing it up to rest on the couch. "Well. There will be no living with them after this. Ever."

"Mm, probably not," Andrew mused, flipping a page in his book and pausing when he heard Danny's silence. Glancing down, he saw the teen's shocked expression.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot to give you your presents. Cujo! Fetch my backpack!" The puppy barked and was off in a second, Andrew only giving Danny a raised eyebrow. "What? I'm comfy! That and you're usually supposed to open presents Christmas morning...but, well, little distracted at that time."

"Just a little," Andrew grinned, laughing at Danny's dramatic sigh. "I rather forgot to give you your present as well."

"Aw, did you get me something nice?" Danny grinned, laughing at Andrew's expression. "Is it a book? It's a book, isn't it? Ooh, is it a super secret book you've been working on in secret? Is it-" Danny pouted as his mouth was covered, Andrew only looking amused.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Tugging Andrew's hand away, Danny gave a bright smile.

"It's my nature." A bark brought his attention to Cujo, who was dragging his backpack across the floor, and looking to be struggling with it. "Aw, that's adorable." Reaching for his phone, he took a quick picture, finally jumping up to help Cujo. "Oh jeez, I forgot how heavy this thing was."

Dragging it to the couch they had been sitting on, Danny set it at their feet, digging through it and pulling out two wrapped gifts. "One for this year, and one to make up for last year. Since, you know, yeah. That."

"I'm actually rather glad things happened as they did." At his mate's curious look, Andrew smiled and gave the teen a gentle kiss, pulling him back onto the couch. "If we hadn't met like that, then we never would have started spending time together."

"Guess so. That just means you're _really_ gonna like this one, then." Pushing the heavier looking gift into his mate's lap, Danny nervously watched as the ghost began unwrapping it. Seeing the ghost snort as he saw it was a book, Danny smiled as his mate froze at seeing just _what_ book it was. "Kind of had Clockwork help me out with a few time shenanigans. Not quite sure how it all worked out, but, you know-"

The rest of his words were cut short as he was pulled into Andrew's lap, the ghost hugging him tightly, Danny only laughing. "Guess you like it, then. I mean, you know, thought it was a little unfair that you didn't get to keep the original copy, even if the rewrite _was_ better." Gently picking up the book titled 'The Fright Before Christmas', Danny carefully set it on the seat next to them, seeing as he had a feeling Andrew wasn't going to let him go. "So, is that a yes to liking it?"

At the rapid and breathless French he heard, he gave a nod. "Definite yes, then. You still have your second present to open, you know." It took a few minutes to actually get Andrew to _focus_ enough to open his second present, and when he did, he went right back to clinging to Danny and rambling in French. "Yes, I know. I'm awesome."

"How did you even-"

"Had Technus help me out," Danny grinned. "I might be good with stuff like this, but I had no _idea_ how to fix your Quantum Keyboard. I mean, I know you can use your powers without it, but I figured you would still want it back."

"Well, now I feel like my gift is rather inadequate." Danny rolled his eyes at that, tightly hugging Andrew back.

"Andy, I'm happy with whatever you give me. I don't even _care_ if you give me something, I'm just happy that I get to be with you."

"I am still unsure as to how you almost failed English."

"Yeah, well, I used to be a lot worse at expressing things. Guess I had a pretty amazing tutor, after all," Danny smiled, happily resting in his mate's arms. "But, I mean, while we're _on_ the subject of presents...what _did_ you get me?" Danny blinked at the floating present in front of him, wrapped with a glaring orange color. "Vidya, huh?"

Andrew only sighed, Vidya happily humming in their heads. Danny laughed, taking the present and carefully opening it. "I see pages, so I was obviously right about it being a super secret book project. See, I like being right. It's a very good- Good… Is...is this...the prequel…"

"I know it's not much, but you seemed rather attached to the stories, so I thought I would-" Andrew was cut off by Danny jerking him down into a rather hard and demanding kiss. "I, um, I'll take that as you liking your present, then?"

"Oh, trust me, you're going to find out just _how much_ I love my present, Andy~"

* * *

Danny _really_ loves those books.


	40. Back Pain

Did the rope actually exist? Or was that a television fable?

Warnings for : blood, ectoplasmic blood, scars, wounds, jokes and references to sexual situations

* * *

**Chapter Forty - Back Pain**

**::**

"Ah! School! What a terrible hell that we have to suffer through!" Sam rolled her eyes at Tucker's dramatics, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Danny, who had opted to get a ride from Jazz. By the time she saw him, his face was bright red, and she didn't think it was from the cold.

"Hey there, Danny dear." Slinging an arm around the teen, Sam drew him in close, grinning widely. "It's been such a long winter break, huh? And we didn't see you through much of it. Were you busy?"

"I...guess you could say that," Danny nervously coughed, scratching one of his bright red cheeks, although he made no effort to hide the dopey grin on his face. "I was _very_ busy."

"See, I told you confessing to him would lead to good things. This is why you should always listen to me," Sam nodded, sighing as Tucker let out a snort of laughter.

"You mean like that time with the portal, Sam? Or changing the menu? Or-"

"I will not hesitate to shove my fist down your throat, Tucker Foley, don't think I won't!" Tucker fled with a laugh, Sam chasing after him and still screaming threats. Danny only contently headed for class, lightly humming under his breath.

"Someone had a good break, I see," Valerie mused, falling into step with him as he entered the halls. "I'm sure your sister has already meddled?"

"Oh, not so much meddling as talking. Constantly. For three hours." At the look he was given, Danny only grinned wider. "I am too happy to be upset. Seriously. There is nothing that can upset me right now."

"Mhm. I bet," the girl snorted, shoving Danny into his homeroom and giving him a wave goodbye. "Try not to pass out in class, Fenton!" Danny only stuck his tongue out, heading to his seat and sitting down, pulling out his sketchbook and pencils. After winter break, he had a _lot_ of drawing inspiration.

The bell for homeroom rang, Tucker and Sam tumbling in seconds afterwards, taking their seats before the teacher could nitpick at them. Tuning out the teacher, Danny buried himself into his sketching, gliding through the rest of the day until gym, when he was rudely pulled out of his happy daze by a sharp whistle.

"Alright, you weaklings! Today is rope climbing day!" Of all the days to need a ghost attack. "I know you think we do this a bit too much, but I have good reason for that… I like seeing you brats suffer!" A groan rippled across the students, Danny only stepping further behind Sam and Tucker to hide. He had been lucky to survive with his scarf still around his neck, although he hadn't been so lucky with his jacket.

Five students attempted the rope, and none prevailed. Tucker escaped with another note, Tetslaff glaring at him the entire time. "Alright, Manson! Show these weaklings how it's done!"

"With pleasure, Coach," Sam saluted, jumping for the rope and beginning her climb, making it to the top rather quickly, ringing the bell, and then climbing back down. "Excellent! Fenton, you're up."

"Yay. Eternal suffering," Danny mumbled, heading to the rope, and wondering how far he could get with the pain that was weighing him down. Considering how it was starting to hurt just to _move_ , he had a feeling he wouldn't be getting very far today. "Don't get your hopes up for me, Coach."

"Yeah, yeah, just get climbing, Fenton." Seeing the stopwatch started, Danny nodded, pulling himself up and hissing at the sharp pain in his shoulders. Right, so, he didn't count on it being _that_ bad. He managed to get halfway up the rope before another stab of pain had him flinching, which ended up with him falling straight to the ground. Which, of course with his luck, meant that he had ended up on his back.

Pain registering, he swore loudly in French, darting up and clutching his arms close to his side, body shivering. Feeling something _wet_ on his back, he frowned, reaching back to feel, eyes widening as he pulled his hand away. "Um, Coach? I may be bleeding. Can I go to the Nurse?"

"Fine, get going," Tetslaff sighed, not surprised when Tucker, Sam, and Valerie immediately followed after him. "Alright, Sanchez, you're up! And no more fake doctor's notes!"

Getting into the hallway, Danny headed for an empty classroom, the others right behind him. "Dude, slow down, what do you mean you're bleeding?"

"Yeah, and I mean, why not go to the Nurse? Considering she's 80 and barely alive herself, I hardly doubt she'll notice if you're half ghost," Valerie snorted, raising an eyebrow at Danny's panicked expression.

"Yeah? And how do you think she'll react when she sees my blood is red _and_ green?!" At once, Sam was pushing the teen's shirt off, wincing at the bleeding back she saw.

"Jesus, Danny, what the hell did you do? It looks like there are _slices_ in your back!" At Danny's squeak of pain, she quickly jerked her hand away, gesturing for Tucker to get the first aid kit he kept in his bag. "Just stay still, we'll bandage it. Jeez, how did you even get _six_ of these?"

"Hell if I know," Danny hissed, Valerie taking a picture of his back and showing it to him, the teen's eyes widening. "Okay, expected the scars, not...that. And I mean, I don't bleed ectoplasm in human form…"

"Maybe your forms are starting to blur together?" Valerie suggested, shrugging at the look she was given. "It's not exactly like half ghosts are well documented. We really don't know what this means."

"Story of my life," Danny snorted, sitting quietly until his back was bandaged. "So, who would be willing to agree to _not_ tell Andrew about this."

"Guess I shouldn't have just texted him then, huh?" Sam asked, waving her phone in front of Danny's distressed look. "Picture included- Oh don't give me that look, you hellion. You know he needs to know about this."

"I give it ten minutes until he's here," Valerie spoke up, Tucker only pulling out his pda and taping a few things.

"You would lose, since a ghost signature just showed up, a rather strong one, too, so I'm guessing it's your overprotective mate." Danny whined loudly, not fighting it as he was pulled back to gym, which was almost over. "Aw, come on, man. You knew he was going to worry no matter what."

"I hate worrying him though," Danny complained, the four heading to their separate locker rooms and getting dressed, reuniting a few minutes later and continuing like their conversation hadn't even been interrupted. "I mean, I have enough people worrying about me!"

"And now you have one more," Sam grinned, ready to pat his back before she paused, instead patting his head. "Try not to lean your back against anything for the next few days." At Danny's dismal look, she gave a quick pat to his cheek. "Hey, look at it this way, now you get an opportunity to top-"

"SAMMY!" The girl was cackling and off in an instant, Danny swearing in a mixture of Latin and French, too tired to run after her. Heading to his last class with Valerie, he kept swearing under his breath.

"You know...she does have a point- Okay, okay. Dropping it." She could handle glares, but not puppy pouts. "I'm curious, though, how protective is he?"

"Think me times two." At the look, he gave as small a shrug as possible. "If he doesn't trail after me with his knives in hand after this, I will be shocked." Class passed rather normally, and in a vague blur, Danny yawning every few seconds and trying to find a comfortable position for his back. He found there was none. At all.

"Fifty says he'll be right on the steps as soon as the doors open," Sam grinned, falling into step with the others as the last bell rang. "Or he's trailing behind you invisibly right now."

"I think my ghost sense would tell me that," Danny argued, carrying his backpack in his hands, since he couldn't exactly carry it on his back. "I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad." He was proven wrong a second later when he was suddenly tackled, very gently, by his mate in his human form. Blinking, he finally gave a sigh. "I didn't even get outside."

"Told you," Tucker grinned, happily taking the money Sam handed to him. "Yo, GW, he's not dying, you know. Just a little banged up." His only response was a string of ghostspeak, Tucker looking to Danny in confusion, who only blushed brightly.

"I'm not translating that. You can't make me."

"Aw, was it cute sappy things?" Sam cooed, grinning at Danny's nod. "Look at it this way, if anyone tries to attack you, they have to deal with your pissed off and overprotective boyfriend." Danny sighed as they walked down the steps, Andrew trailing him a step behind.

"I highly doubt anyone is going to attack me-"

"Hey, Fenton!"

"And oh look. There it is. The universe proving me wrong, as always." Turning around, Danny heaved a heavy sigh. "What do you want now, Dash?" Seeing just how irritated the teen looked, he figured the athlete had failed yet another important test. "Can't you take out your aggression in a healthy manner? Like knitting?"

"Funny, Fenton! Wanna know what else will be funny? Seeing you strung up on the flagpole by your underwear!" Danny rolled his eyes at the threat, wondering if he should be amused at how cliche it was.

"Mon cher." Glancing over to his mate, he groaned at seeing the ghost had his hands in his pockets. " _How upset would you be if I ran my blade over his_ _ **neck.**_ " Hm, Danny hoped that the other kids didn't speak too much French.

" _I would be very upset. Remember? No using your knives on humans, only ghosts._ " Andrew huffed, Danny rolling his eyes in amusement.

"Hey! I remember you! You're the one who punched me in the cafeteria that day!"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Andrew smiled coldly, wondering how long Danny would be mad at him for killing a classmate. Probably no longer than a few months, really.

"Uugghh, I so don't want to deal with this," Danny whined, turning on his heel and heading back towards Fenton Works, Andrew walking after him in a second. The other students, who had sensed a fight brewing, shared confused looks at Danny's nonchalant attitude. "Dash, beat me up some other time. I'm so not in the mood."

"Wasn't asking, Fenton," Dash growled, cracking his fingers and stalking up to him, Paulina angrily sighing as he completely ignored whatever she had been trying to tell him. Danny, on his part, only gave a flat stare.

"Mon ange." Andrew perked up at once, Danny giving a bright smile to his mate. " _No killing. Just get rid of him._ "

"Oui, mon cher!" Understanding just what hell he had released, Danny only happily hummed, waving cheerfully at Paulina's pissed off expression. He was going to pay for this tomorrow, but for now, he was heading home.

"Having fun unleashing your assassin mate on your enemies?" Sam asked, falling into step beside him as Danny shrugged. "Tucker got dragged to his dentist appointment - parents cornered him before he could escape - and Valerie went on her shift. Headed to Vidya?"

"Yeah, just need to grab a few things from my room first. ...You don't think it's wrong of me to ask Andrew to take care of Dash and them, do you?"

"Danny, please." Seeing the guilt in the other's expression, Sam sighed. "No, I don't think it's wrong. You've been putting up with them far too long! I know you won't fight back yourself, and you're in no shape to do that anyways right now, so I think it's a good thing Andrew is here for you. Besides, did you see that smile? He was _ecstatic_ you gave him permission."

"Yeah, he's been wanting to kill Dash since he met him," Danny snorted, waving goodbye to Sam as they reached turning points. It was another few minutes of walking before he felt someone take his backpack for him, a hand holding his. "Have fun?"

"Of course," Andrew grinned, kissing Danny's cheek. "I don't think he'll be bothering you for a while. Him or the rest of the jocks, as it were."

"Aw, did you beat up all the jocks to defend my honor?" Danny laughed at Andrew's dramatic sigh, tugging him down for a proper kiss. "Glad you had fun, but my back hurts, and I'm very tired. So, take me home?" Andrew nodded, once again pulling Danny along, who happily followed after him.

They both knew he didn't mean Fenton Works, when he said home.

::

"Bandages don't _have_ to be changed, you know," Danny complained, sitting on the bed as Andrew worked on changing the bandages of his bleeding back. "It's just...recommended."

"Yes, but then you risk a high chance of infection," Andrew hummed, running gentle touches over the scabbing over wounds, frowning at Danny's flinch. "I speak from experience when I say that isn't fun."

"Still don't like it," Danny grumbled, wincing as he felt some form of healing cream rubbed over the wounds. "It shouldn't even be bleeding to start with! All I did was fall down from the rope in gym! It's not like I fell on spikes, or something."

"You'll just have to be careful until it heals," Andrew sighed, picking up a fresh set of bandages. "You hardly ever lean against your back, anyways, so I doubt you'll have many problems there."

"Except when you ruthlessly fuck me into the mattress," Danny snickered, glancing back to see Andrew's shocked expression and blush. "Fun fact, I don't have a word filter when I'm in pain. I'll be sure to be mortified over this in the morning, though, so, no worries."

"I...don't have a response…" Danny only smiled, thoroughly enjoying his mate's blush as his bandages were finished being wrapped and tied. Hearing a quiet lullaby start playing in his head, Danny gave a yawn, shooting a halfhearted glare towards the ceiling.

"Nooo, I don't wanna sleep." His words were more of a mumbled whine than anything, Andrew already nudging him down and pulling the blanket over him. "Evil conspirators! This is...an evil plot...to...to…" Trailing off, Danny gave a yawn, relaxing at the gentle sensation of Andrew scratching his head. "Mm...sooo nice."

Andrew chuckled as the teen was asleep in moments, although he had to quickly stop him from rolling over onto his back. He had a feeling that putting any pressure on his back wouldn't be helping matters. He had to stop the teen another three times before he finally crawled under the covers with him, holding him in place and giving a sigh. "You never stop being troublesome, do you…"

* * *

Tick. Tock.


	41. Falling Awake

I took the chapter title inspirations by a DP fanfiction of the same name that dealt with depersonalization. It was very good.

Warnings for : sexual comments/jokes, near death situations, amazingly delicious cookies

* * *

**Chapter Forty One - Falling Awake**

**::**

"So, any plans for Valentine's Day?" Danny only absently hummed, entirely focused on his sketchbook. "Can you even hear me?" Another vaguely positive sounding hum. "Have you topped yet?"

"You are a terrible person, Sammy," Danny sighed, pausing as he erased part of the image he had been working on, carefully blowing away the shavings. "How about we talk about something _other_ than my sex life, please?"

"Excuse me for being a good friend and wanting to know if my friend is happy and being safe," Sam huffed, trying to look at the sketchbook, only to be hit in the head with a spare eraser. "You've become so rude."

"So says the Queen of Rudeness." _Why_ did his mate's hair have to be so hard to draw? It was very frustrating, even if he did have extra inspiration in the form of Andrew returning to his old habit of sleeping naked. A habit Danny very much encouraged. "Besides, you don't need to be _on_ the bottom to _be_ the bottom."

"Okay. Wow. I did _not_ need that mental image," Tucker interrupted, looking very disturbed as Valerie snorted. "I just- I really, _really_ do not need that image, bro. At all."

"Too bad that I like seeing others suffer when I'm suffering," Danny smiled brightly, frowning as Valerie managed to tilt her chair enough to see his drawing. "Does privacy mean nothing to you?"

"Well, it certainly doesn't mean anything to you," Valerie shot back, amused as she let her chair fall back to the floor. "Feeling inspired, lately?"

"I have very rude friends," Danny huffed, sticking his tongue out. "Is there anything else you would like to pry about when it comes to my life? I mean, since we've already crossed so many lines of privacy, why not break a few more?"

"Wow. And I thought Tucker was dramatic," Sam whistled, laughing at the boys' pouts. "Back to my original question, though, what are you two doing for Valentine's Day?"

"Far as I know, hiding in Vidya and pretending the rest of the world doesn't exist." At the three looks from his friends, he sighed dramatically. "Guys...guys, really? You _honestly_ expect me to plan something for Valentine's Day? I'm about as romantic as Tucker at his best!"

"Hey! Why do you make that sound insulting?!"

"You have a point, but still. You seem the sappy type to plan at least _something_." Danny only shrugged, sketching in hair and fabric as he felt Sam's look. "You're hiding something."

"Gosh, Sammy. You're so _rude_. I'm not hiding anything!" Seeing the raised eyebrow go higher, he scrunched down behind his sketchbook, glasses slightly slipping down. "I'm not!"

"For some reason, I'm picturing him doing that 'draw me like one of your French girls' line from Titanic," Valerie spoke, all three turning to look at her. "You two, obviously, haven't seen his sketchbook."

"I have not," Sam agreed, smile turning dark. "But I want to." Seeing the teen clutch the book even more closely, Sam snorted. "Tell me what you're hiding and I promise not to steal your sketchbook." Danny paused, considering the choices. Either tell his friends he could no longer feel his ghost powers, or show them his sketchbook filled with mostly naked Andrews.

Really, there was only one choice.

"I mean, I could do one of those things. Or, I could, you know...not." Seeing Danny stand up and carefully back up to the wall, the three shared looks.

"And you have a third option?" Sam asked, shocked when her friend jumped out the window. They were on the first floor, granted, but still...she really had not seen that coming. "Did...he just…"

"Jump out the window and cut school? Yeah, pretty sure he did," Tucker nodded, going back to his laptop. "Didn't think he had it in him."

::

"Yo, lil cuz! Isn't today a school day?" Danny glanced up to see Johnny and Kitty, giving them a blank stare before he sighed and went back to staring at the street. "Wow. That was cold."

"You alright, Danny?" Kitty curiously asked, Danny giving her a bright grin.

"Yeah, sorry, just lost in my thoughts, I guess! And yeah, supposed to be a school day, but I kind of escaped. Long story, not really worth the retelling." At the dual looks he was given, Danny rolled his eyes. "Seriously, guys, I'm fine. Promise."

"Alright...if you're sure. Do you need a lift anywhere?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna walk around a bit more," Danny smiled, waving the two goodbye. He waited until they were out of sight to finally collapse to his knees, hands moving to cover his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut, voices whirling through his head, and glimpses of different scenes buzzing around him. It was a sensory overload that he _did not_ need. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine."

He was nowhere near fine, and that was something he would _not_ let the others find out about. Shaking his head, he climbed to his feet, heading to the park. If he could just relax long enough to get it under control, then he could go spend the rest of the day with Andrew. He just needed a _few minutes_ of peace.

" _I told you this would happen! He's too young, too volatile! We're lucky no one ended up_ _ **dead**_ _because of his blunders!" Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong he wasn't bad just a bit misguided and a bit lost and a bit overwhelmed and trying_ _ **so hard**_ _to prove himself he didn't mean for things to happen like they did and_

" _I admit that he can be a little...reckless-" No no no no no no no no no nO NO IT HAD BEEN AN ACCIDENT he was just curious and stupid and he was always curious and it was all his fault and he almost killed_ _ **thousands**_ _because of his stupid curiosity and his stupid mistakes and stupid stupid stupid stupid maybe the voices were right maybe he_ _ **was**_ _just a mistake not meant to be chosen_

" _He never should have been chosen! I don't care what you or the others say, his attitude needs to be fixed_ _ **immediately**_ _." Just a broken useless thing no one really needed and it was all his fault but it was their fault too it was their fault for never listening and never paying attention and never giving him a chance and always snapping and always blaming him and it_ _ **was always his fault and he was so sick of it and and and and**_

_**tHeY shOuLD sUfFeR** _

Danny groaned at the images and voices that overtook him, knees hitting the ground once again as he took refuge in the snow covered park, hands uselessly covering his ears. If only these voices would just _shut up_. Was this a punishment? Something he did wrong? He knew he wasn't exactly perfect, but what had he ever done to earn _this_?

Feeling something slightly wet land on the tip of his nose, Danny looked up curiously, amused to see it was snowing. It figured, since it was cold enough. Sighing, and settling back against the tree he had found himself at, he decided to watch the snowfall. Just for a few minutes. Just...for a bit…

Maybe closing his eyes wouldn't hurt either, just for a moment. He was _so_ tired, after all. Then he could call Andrew and tell him the pain was getting worse, and he was scared, and he really, _really_ didn't want to die- Well, no, he may not tell him that last part. That last part didn't sound very fun. To say or to hear. Maybe he would just say he was scared about his bad health- That would work, right?

He just...didn't want to die…

"Danny!" Gasping as he was jerked up, he looked with wide eyes to Ember, who was swearing under her breath as she gestured to Skulker behind her, speaking into a headset. "Hey, we found him! Over at the park, near the end by the street- Just get here! He looked like he was fading a few seconds ago!" Throwing the headset down, Ember huffed, looking back to Danny and worriedly cupping his cheeks. "Danny- Hey, can you hear me?"

Danny only blinked, looking from side to side. There were mounds of snow everywhere, and it was...night? It was also cold but...he didn't really feel the cold. Was that bad? He had an ice core, so he didn't know if it was really that bad, or anything. He was probably fine...maybe.

And now there were other people talking and arguing and they wouldn't _shut up_. If they would just be quiet for a few minutes then maybe he could try to figure out what the hell was going on, figure out why his mind felt so scattered and fuzzy. Oh look, more voices. Yay. If they would just _be quiet_ maybe he could get some peace...just let his problems fade away-

"Danny!" Darting up at the sound of a panicked mate, Danny looked around worriedly, surprised when he saw Andrew cupping his cheeks and looking like he was dying all over again. It was a second or two until he heard a stream of relieved and panicked French, his mind too tired to try and decipher it. Returning the hug he was pulled into, Danny gently patted his mate's back, still confused as to just what was going on.

A glance to the other ghosts and humans gathered around them showed expressions ranging from horror to shock. Well, that often didn't mean good things for him. His mind was still fuzzy and hard to organize, but it was nothing compared to earlier, now that Andrew was wrapped around him, and hugging him tightly. Starting to concentrate on words, he heard something about his ghost energy unable to be traced.

"I haven't felt my ghost side in over a week," Danny mumbled, surprised at just how quiet the clearing had gone, how unnerving it was to have everyone staring at him. It was also painful to hear the pained noise his mate let out, as if his world was shattering. That...that one was really painful. "Oh, yeah! Andrew, I had something to tell you." Tugging on his mate's coat, to make sure he had the ghost's full attention, he let out a small smile.

"I really don't want to die…"

::

By the time Danny was warmed up, and shoved in the Clock Citadel so the others could keep an eye on him, he was properly coherent enough to regret his words. "Wwwhhhyyy?! Why do I have no word filter when I'm that bad off?!"

He also may have been stress eating the cookies Clockwork always had for him at that point, not that he cared. Those cookies were the only thing that helped when he was upset - that and Andrew - and he was going to eat himself into a goddamn cookie coma if he had to. "Uuugghhh! It's not even a normal word filter breakdown! It's death word filter breakdown!"

"How many cookies...have you eaten?" Tucker cautiously asked, sighing as Danny only bit into another one. "We had to find out about this sooner or later-"

"Yeah! When I'm so far gone I can't feel regret for the pain I end up causing you!" Danny snapped, snuggling down in the mass of blankets he was wrapped up in. He had a feeling it was half warming him up, and half keeping him still. The stone lions and Cujo also happened to have kidnapped him for a large puppy pile, hence his inability to escape, thus leading to his cookie coma. "My lapses in word filters don't result in me telling you all I'm scared of dying! It results with me telling you things like if Andrew is overly careful _one more time_ with me in bed I'm going to fucking _lose it_! Listening is important, you know! And he doesn't listen when I tell him to ruthlessly fuck me into the mattress until the only thing I can scream is his name!"

"...Well...that was more than I needed to know," Sam finally spoke up, the others looking to Danny in various forms of shock. "Let me know when you get that word filter back." Danny, as if realizing what he had just said, let out the most brokenhearted whine ever.

"Oh my god, noooo…nooo." Sinking down lower, he looked near tears, burying himself under one of the lion's front legs. "Sasha. Eat me. Put me out of my misery." He got a lick to his face for his trouble. "Valerie. Please. End my misery."

"Nah, this is better than a soap opera," Valerie grinned, watching as her friend let out another whine. "At least you're not the book nerd right now. Pretty sure you broke him." Danny glanced over at said mate, not sure whether to be proud or mortified at just how bright the blush was. He decided to just reach for more cookies. "You can't eat your sorrows away forever."

"Just watch me!" Danny snapped, taking another vicious bite. "These are the only things that give me joy other than my mate, and since I broke him, I am entering my cookie coma of death!" It was then his friends tried to take away his cookies, which may have resulted in him sending the lions and Cujo after them.

"Usually you're complaining about your shattered peace and quiet right now." Andrew tiredly glanced over to Clockwork, who was floating in the air beside him. "I know Daniel's words didn't bother you that much."

"Not those, no. The ones about him not wishing to die? Those words might have bothered me," Andrew muttered, resisting the urge to reach for one of his knives. It wasn't like he could do anything. There was no enemy or target for him to defeat...not even his reality changing powers could change this. His powers had rules, and limitations. He could only nudge things...not change the course they were on.

He didn't give life...he only took it.

"The longer you sit over here pouting, the more you worry him." At Andrew's glare, Clockwork raised an eyebrow. "We're all upset about this, Andrew, but that doesn't mean you can isolate yourself. Not this time." Ready to snap out a retort, Andrew paused when he noticed Danny tugging on his coat. Sighing, the ghost floated down, surprised when he was given a cookie.

"Dude, trust me. Eat the cookie. Makes things feel better."

"GODDAMMIT FENTON! GET THIS DAMN DOG OFF OF ME!" Glancing back to see Cujo, in his large form, happily licking a screaming Valerie, Danny only grinned. " _FENTON_!"

"And that is my cue to run- Seriously. Eat the cookie." Running off again, Danny was quickly tackled by Sam, who jerked him back by his mass of blankets. "Please don't kill me."

Andrew sighed, finally taking a bite of the cookie and freezing in shock. Looking to Clockwork, the time ghost gave a small smile. "I'm afraid it's the only type of cookie he will eat. The same holds true for every timeline and universe, really. The only ones he thoroughly enjoys, and distracts him from his problems, are your mother's."

"No! Leave my cookies alone you evil humans!" Danny whined, running away from his friends, loaded down with cookies. "Evil people!"

"You're telling me...of every timeline and possibility...the ones he loves best...are hers?" Clockwork nodded, smiling as Andrew took another small bite of the cookie. "I think she would have liked him."

"She would have, yes. She certainly does in all the other universes and timelines they meet." Clockwork chuckled at the other's look, slightly amused. "She's quite taken with him, and on more than one occasion has all but officially adopted him into the family. The one where you happen to be half ghost, and he the hunter, was certainly an interesting development."

"I...what?"

"Things turned out well, in the end...even if it _did_ begin quite like a certain Shakespearean novel." Seeing the broken look on the other ghost's face, Clockwork had to bite back a laugh, instead patting him on the back. "Daniel completely shattered the expected ending, if that helps."

"My life is a trashy romance novel…" Andrew finally muttered, rubbing a hand over his eyes and displacing his glasses. "I… I don't know how to react to this information."

"I'll leave you to process that. Now if you excuse me, I have to go inform Jasmine of this development. Her college classes may be interrupted, but if I don't tell her now, she'll hit me with my own staff until I'm unconscious." Andrew consideringly chewed on his cookie, finally raising an eyebrow. "Yes, that was not exaggeration, and indeed a possible future."

"Hey, your Fenton. You deal with that oncoming death however you feel is appropriate," Andrew snickered, startled when he suddenly caught Danny, who had fallen out of the air. "What-"

"Sasha dropped me because I was turning into a super villain."

"And I'll leave you to deal with _your_ Fenton," Clockwork chuckled, disappearing into a time portal. Danny, on his part, only snuggled closer to Andrew, happy to be in his mate's arms. Seeing the look he was given, Danny gave a smile.

"So, okay, we should probably talk about the whole almost fading scared of death thing...or, you know, you could kind of take the advice of those words I let slip earlier when my word filter was utterly destroyed. I mean, that would be good-" The rest of his words were cut off with a startled squeak as he was dropped, thankfully landing on a couch. He didn't think landing on stone floor would be good for his back.

"You just never quit, do you?"

"Never."

* * *

You're running out of time.


	42. Valentine's Day

Let's be honest, quite a few of us would enjoy sappy romantic outings with our significant other(s).

* * *

**Chapter Forty Two - Valentine's Day**

**::**

Danny nervously looked over his shoulder, slipping into an alleyway and waiting until he heard someone run past. Peeking back out, and seeing it was relatively clear, the teen heaved a sigh of relief. If he could just keep this up until, oh, his deathbed, he'd be okay. Probably.

Backing further into the alleyway, and tensing at the feeling of someone watching him, Danny quickly let out a sigh of relief a moment later. "It's not typically relief when someone realizes an assassin is following them."

"It is when it's the assassin instead of Jazz," Danny muttered, still nervously looking over his shoulder, glancing around for his mate and not seeing even a scrap of him. "Being sneaky, today?"

"Mm, in a way, I suppose. How long do you think you can avoid Jasmine, however?" Danny gave a groan of despair, leaning against one of the brick walls, and letting himself slide down, curling up on the ground and wrapping his arms around his head.

"Well, you know, I was hoping until I was dead, or something," Danny muttered, not surprised when he heard the sound of someone sitting down beside him. "I'd just...really rather avoid all of these conversations."

"Unfortunately, I don't think that will be the case, mon cher." The teen gave a jerky nod, pausing to scrub at his eyes. "I believe it can wait one more day, however…"

"...Huh?" Being pulled to his feet, Danny was slightly surprised to see his mate's human form. "Are we...going somewhere?"

"It _is_ Valentine's Day, mon cher," Andrew chuckled, pressing a gentle kiss to Danny's forehead. "Unless you wish to go home, however?" Danny shook his head, smile once again on his face.

"No… Valentine's Day date sounds pretty good right about now. Does this date include food, however? Because, you know, I might have skipped breakfast in order to escape Jazz." Danny laughed at the other's dramatic sigh, linking arms with him as they left the alleyway. "Is that a yes to food?"

"As if I could ever say no to you," Andrew laughed, although Danny noticed there was an emotion in the laugh that he couldn't quite place. Clutching his scarf, which had become a habit, Danny leaned into his mate's side, happy as he saw some tension bleed out of him.

"Alright. No sad thoughts today. Just cute romantic things that make people's teeth rot," Danny decided, moving his hand down to hold Andrew's, arms still twined together. "And, you know, mindblowing sex. I'm kind of partial to that last one."

"I don't remember you being this crude a few months ago," Andrew mumbled, light blush on his face, and really, Danny had far too much fun making the man blush. "I feel like I'm encouraging your bad behavior."

"Remember those manuscripts you let me read before we started dating?" At the nod, Danny gave a bright grin. "Vidya found me a few more." The blush on his mate's face grew worse, Danny taking full pleasure in it. "Heh, they were very good. And very scandalous. Also, here's a question, have you ever considered bedroom role-" The rest of his words came out as a muffle as his scarf was jerked over his mouth, Andrew's face now a bright red.

"You are terrible," Andrew muttered, rolling his eyes as Danny pulled the scarf down, reaching up to give him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Absolutely atrocious."

"You love me for it," Danny smiled contently, leaning against Andrew's shoulder and sighing happily. He heard another sigh, but not a denial. "Your own fault, you know. Always trying to get me to be less self conscious, and everything." Even if he did still have those moments, especially when it came to the various scars that littered his body.

"Mm, suppose I did," Andrew smiled, pulling Danny into a warm and tender kiss, as if sensing his thoughts. "Sadly enough, I can't find it in me to regret doing so." Danny laughed at the kiss to the corner of his eye, feeling better already.

"Good. That's...that's good…"

::

Keeping true to his mate's decision, Andrew refused to let Danny linger on any thoughts deemed sad, instead pulling him along to whatever he had planned next. "Okay, we've been to that small diner for breakfast, the bookstore to get that new book I wanted, the Skulk and Lurk to listen to poetry, and the park to escape from Kitty and Johnny. What else do you have on your master plan?"

"What makes you think I have a master plan?" Andrew asked, frowning at Danny's raised eyebrow. "Vidya told you, didn't she?"

"She might have mentioned you had something planned for today, but other than that she was rather silent on the matter. Frustratingly so."

"Good. Also, we're here." Having been distracted talking, Danny looked to where they were, small and soft smile growing as he saw it was the planetarium. "I assume my master plan is working?"

"Your master plan is very much working," Danny smiled, dragging his mate inside. It wasn't long before he was ranting about everything he knew on each thing they saw, Andrew listening intently and offering his own input every so often. It was a novel feeling in itself, Danny supposed, to have someone actually _understand_ him when he started rambling about space.

If Andrew's master plan was to get Danny to fall more in love with him, he was certainly succeeding.

A few hours passed, Andrew finally having to drag Danny out, much to his protesting. "But- But- Like- Ten more minutes!"

"Mon cher, you said that two hours ago," Andrew sighed, although he was more amused than upset. It was nice to see Danny so excited over things, although the staff kept giving them dirty looks, since Danny had interrupted every tour group, and proven much more knowledgeable than the guides themselves. He may have stolen one or two of the groups, as well. "As much as you would like, you can't spend your life here."

"I mean...I don't know, I could try," Danny shrugged, whining as he was dragged out the door, making grabbing motions for the building. "Nooo. Take mercy."

"Mercy comes in the form of me making you eat before you pass out." It took a second, but yes, Danny did indeed notice that he was rather starving. "Come on, we can get some lunch back at Vidya."

"Is the food heart shaped?" At the distinct silence of his mate, Danny let out a small cooing noise, pressing into his side. "That is the most adorable ever and I am keeping you. Forever. There is no escape. Stuck with me until the end of time, and maybe a little after that."

"Stuck with you forever? That sounds rather nice…" And there was that emotion again, hidden behind an amused smile. Grief, of being unable to help, or change things. Of being trapped to do nothing and just...watch.

"Yeah...it does, doesn't it…"

::

"I sometimes forget just how good your cooking is," Danny commented, eating the lunch Andrew had made for him. "And then I am reminded. Kind of makes me want to ask you to make _all_ my meals. I mean, I can only get poisoned by Jazz so many times before I get sick of it. And Mom and Dad haven't really cooked meals in...well, ever, I guess."

It was strange, now that he thought of it, that he never considered how his parents would react to his death. He was broken up about the pain he was causing his friends, Andrew, Jazz, Clockwork, even Elle if she had figured it out. But...he wondered if his parents would even care.

"Hey, I have a question, but it's one for the sad subject, but I'm still really kind of curious." At Andrew's own curious look, Danny looked down to his food, poking it with his fork. "How come I almost faded the other day if I was still human? I mean...I haven't felt my ghost powers in over a week. Shouldn't my heart have just stopped, or something?"

"If it's all the same to you, mon cher, I'd rather not remember that," Andrew mumbled, letting out a heavy sigh at Danny's hurt expression. "I'm not sure why, Danny. Maybe your forms have blended together so much, that…"

"That I won't leave a body when I die?" Danny half asked, still looking down at his plate. "That sounds depressing, actually, and kind of funny, now that I think about it. All this time trying to hide and blend in, never standing out. Never being noticed. Looks like I'm getting my wish, huh?"

"Danny…"

"Forget it, it's fine. Just being my usual depressing self, heh. So, um, what else did you-"

" _ **I told you I would get my revenge. I told you I would make you pay. I told you that I would make this world suffer for what it did to me… And why should we be banished to this miserable scrap of existence? Why did we leave the world that was rightfully ours? I'm done protecting these worthless miserable creatures who never fight back. I'm done letting those vermin live, never knowing of our existence. If this world breaks, then the other one is just ours for the taking, isn't it?"**_

" _Who- Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" And it was his voice, not the ones he had been hearing in his head for the past few months. It was just him, Danny Fenton, scared and confused and unsure of what was happening._

" _ **She may have made you to be Her new protector...but you won't even survive. How could you? You're weak.**_ **Human** _ **. She made a mistake, crafting you… She didn't even give you true life, just gave you a weak form and put you in a world that was left forgotten. How could She ever think you would be a threat?"**_

" _I- I don't know what you're talking about… In fact, I'm pretty sure you have the wrong half ghost here. I mean- No one made me- unless you count my mom, but I don't like to think about that-"_

" _ **The timekeeper may have helped reunite your lives...but it will all be pointless. How much longer can that weak form last? An unstable fusion of two worlds that were never meant to mix… You won't last. You've seen what happens to unstable ghosts, haven't you?**_

" _ **They fade."**_

Stirring slowly, Danny forced his eyes open, vision blurrily focusing in on soft and muted colors. Trying to move, and flinching at the pain that shot through him, he glanced around to figure out what had happened. He remembered...being in the kitchen with Andrew, and after that...it was just vague blurs.

Hearing a quiet mumble beside him, he glanced over to see Andrew curled up asleep, troubled expression on his face. "You're suffering even more than I am, huh…" Hesitantly reaching his hand out, Danny carefully brushed back the other's bangs, smiling at the mumbled French. "You know...I really shouldn't pick favorites, but I'm definitely going to miss you the most…"

Still lightly playing with Andrew's hair, Danny gave a small chuckle. "Shame I won't be here for your next birthday. I was gonna team up with Randy. Would have been fun, if only for your expression. But, you know…" Pausing, Danny let out a sigh.

"Please don't go back to cutting yourself off...of never letting people in. I know you're scared to lose people, Andy, but I really don't want you to suffer over this… I love you- I really, _really_ do. I could have easily seen myself spending the rest of my life with you, although, in a way, I guess I still am, huh… I'm scared, Andrew, but I'm _more_ scared of what you'll do after I'm gone…" Feeling tears start to escape, Danny squeezed his eyes shut, shoulders shaking.

"'M sorry… Bad enough I was the one who had to kill you...and now I go and do this to you… I'm so-" Cutting himself off, Danny bit his lip. It was a few seconds until he felt his tears being gently wiped away, and a light kiss pressed to his forehead.

He did nothing to stop his sobs.

* * *

It hurts to realize you can so easily lose a loved one.


	43. Plan B

Don't be an idiot like Danny.

Warnings for : references to sexual situations, unsigned wills, untested pokeballs, angry in laws

* * *

**Chapter Forty Three - Plan B**

**::**

"Right. This is either my most genius plan, or the stupidest thing I have ever attempted in my entire life - ghost side included." Danny stared at the beaker in front of him that held a thick green substance. "On one hand, I could extend my life by about another year, get my ghost form back, and reassure the others. On the other hand, this could end up being toxic and kill me, potentially making me fade and leaving no trace of what happened to me."

Tapping the glass of pure, concentrated ectoplasm, Danny hummed. "Extended life, instant death. A fine line is being walked here…" He wasn't even sure how his parents had _gotten_ something like this, and he wasn't exactly sure that he wanted to know. Tapping the side of the beaker again, he gave a long sigh. "Okay, Phantom, what would your friends say about this plan…

"Sam would say I'm an idiot and then tie me to the bed. Tucker would say I was crazy and destroy this stuff. Valerie would confiscate it for testing and _then_ tell me I'm a suicidal idiot. Jazz would break down crying and wonder where she went wrong in raising me. Clockwork- Well, actually, if this was a _really_ bad decision then he would see it, and stop me from it."

Pausing, and watching absolutely nothing happen, Danny gave a wide grin. "No Time Master appearing and telling me I made a horrible choice! Completely safe!" He may have also conveniently forgotten that Clockwork was having difficulty seeing the time streams. "Okay. I got this. Just...keep calm."

Picking the beaker up, Danny wrinkled his nose at the smell, which was something overly sweet, and let out a small sigh. "Well...bottom's up, I guess…" Gulping the substance down, he set the empty beaker on his desk and took a few steps back, glancing around to see if anything dramatic was about to happen. "Huh...should have done _something_ at least."

Frowning, and picking the beaker back up, he inspected it from every angle, making _sure_ it was concentrated ectoplasm he had drank. "So much for that plan-" Pausing, Danny suddenly swore, grabbing his backpack and heading for the door. "Shit, shit, shit, shit! I'm so late!" Tumbling down the steps, he rushed out the door, skidding onto the sidewalk and breaking into a run.

If he hurried fast enough, he'd probably be able to make it before homeroom let out. It only took six minutes to get to the school, where it should have taken _at least_ fifteen minutes. Passing it off, he circled the school and searched for the window to his homeroom, waving his arms to get his friends' attention.

He saw Tucker raise his hand, pointing towards the door, and the teacher off to look out. Sam then opened the window, Danny diving in, much to the amusement of his classmates. Settling in his seat, he saw the teacher's startled look when seeing him, eyes narrowing in thought.

Luck seemed to be on his side however, as the teacher waved them off to do what they wanted. Danny immediately let out a sigh of relief, sagging in his seat. Sam only snorted, looking thoroughly amused. "Cutting it a little close, aren't you?"

"Just a little," Danny grinned, frowning at Sam's shocked expression. "Sammy? What's up- Hey!" Frowning as he pushed up Tucker's hat, which had just been shoved on his head with the cap covering his eyes, he raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I thought you said you couldn't get to your ghost half?" Sam hissed, Danny only looking more confused. Sam, in answer, pulled out her phone, Danny blinking at his reflection. It only took a moment to notice that his eyes were a bright, toxic green.

"Oooh. Oh. Did do something, then," Danny muttered, cowering under the gazes of all three of his friends. "I...might have...tried to fix my dying problem."

"Fix _how_." Danny flinched, since Valerie wasn't asking, so much as _demanding_ to know. He was kind of wishing Valerie _hadn't_ been switched to their homeroom now. "What did you do, Fenton?"

"Um...drink about 14 ounces of concentrated ectoplasm?" At hearing a loud banging noise, the rest of the class looked over in shock to see that Sam Manson was trying to strangle her best friend, Tucker and Valerie holding her back by her arms.

"ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU IMMATURE FUCKING PIECE OF-" Sam's words were cut off by her own scream, fighting even harder against the two holding her back, Danny only seeking refuge on the other side of the classroom.

"Okay, okay! I can admit, it was a very stupid decision, but, I mean, it kind of worked, right?" Seeing the students sharing confused looks, and the teacher snapping out of their confusion, Danny sighed. "Can't we discuss this in a reasonable and calm manner?"

"14 _OUNCES_ , DANNY! LAST TIME YOU ACCIDENTALLY DRANK AN _OUNCE_ YOU HAD A THREE DAY FEVER AND COULD BARELY MOVE!"

"Oh, yeah...I forgot about that." This time the scream of rage echoed throughout four classrooms and two hallways, the four teens finally being kicked out and banished until the bell rang for next class. Seeing as he was at the mercy of his very pissed off friend, Danny slowly backed away, hands held out in a peaceful gesture of surrender. "Now, Sammy, let's think this through. I admit, what I did was pretty stupid, but is killing me really going to help anything here?"

"It will certainly do wonders for my stress levels," Sam finally groaned out, collapsing against the wall. "How do you cause this much trouble…"

"You're telling me you ingested that much ectoplasm? And you're not dead?" Danny gave a shrug as Valerie walked around him, carefully poking and prodding. "Your eyes seem to be the only giveaway, I think. Bright, glowing, and obviously ghostly."

"So, here's a question," Tucker spoke up, digging in his bag for an extra beret. "Is there a _reason_ you did what you did? I mean, I'm guessing there is, since you're usually not _this_ crazy."

"I'm sticking with the excuse of a lapse in judgment due to my impending death," Danny nodded, shivering as he looked over his shoulder. "Well, there's number two. My ghost sense seems to be working again- You can come out, Randy!"

"Aw…" Randy faded into view, leaning against the lockers across from them. "You never let me have fun, petit mec. And what's this about ghost sense? Did you get your power back?"

"Eeeh. Sort of," Danny hedged, giving a vague hand waggle. "But what are _you_ doing here?" Seeing the raised eyebrow, Danny groaned and let out a sigh. "Did Andrew really ask his big brother to keep an eye on me?"

"More like be your bodyguard, really," Randy shrugged. "He said he was working on something important but wanted to make sure you had someone there if you had an attack, or something. I, graciously, volunteered my services and why the hell are your eyes green?"

"He drank 14 ounces of concentrated ectoplasm," Sam spoke, giving a shrug at Danny's betrayed expression. "Consequences, Danny. You do something this stupid, you pay for it by dealing with everyone's worry."

"Why are you so mean," Danny whined, sighing as Randy flew over in a second, quickly looking him over for any worrying signs. "Come on, I'm obviously fine! So, okay, my eyes are green, that's not such a big deal, right?" Feeling the beret taken off his head, and seeing the stares of the others, he let out a long and heavy sigh. "White hair?"

"White hair." Danny sighed deeply, pressing his palms to his eyes and trying to stay calm. He just needed to stay calm. He could figure this out- And he had his powers back - sort of. That was good!

"Alright, okay. We just need to stay calm, and _not_ tell Andrew." Tucker only pointed to Randy, who was looking ready to flee. "Randy… Randy, no. Don't you dare! You know how he worries!"

"Sorry, petit mec, I'm under strict orders. This counts as something bad, I think. Seeya soon-" The ghost didn't even get to phase before Danny was throwing a small circular device on him, which hit him on the head before opening and sucking him inside.

"Did...did you just throw one of those god awful pokeballs at him?" Sam asked quietly, looking to see Danny nod. "Why?"

"I...panicked." Walking over, he picked up the ghost catcher, slipping it into his bag. "You don't think he'll be too mad, do you?"

"You captured him. With a pokeball."

"...Start writing my will."

::

By third period, Danny's hair was completely white, which left him using his hood instead of Tucker's hat. He also kept phasing through things, or having random body parts go invisible. It was hard enough hiding from Paulina and the other A-Listers before, now it felt like they were scrutinizing his every move.

"This is the worst day ever," Danny grumbled, pulling his hood down further. "I feel like I just got my powers all over again- Ugh! Do you know how many things I dropped in Science last period?! Just as they were starting to think about lifting my ban on handling fragile objects!"

"I hate to say the cliche of it could be worse, but it really _could_ be worse," Tucker pointed out, lightly patting his friend on the back. "I didn't think you kept those pokeballs though, they're almost a year old."

"Yeah, well, never know when I might need them," Danny shrugged, slinging an arm around Tucker's shoulder. "Besides, they came in use today!"

"Guess so...how's your back doing, by the way? Still hurting?" He took the groan as a yes. "It hasn't gotten _any_ better?"

"If anything, it's just gotten worse," Danny sighed, following his friend into their computer programming class. "Feels like something is trying to tear it's way out of my back- By the way, what do you think my chances are of surviving until my birthday?"

"Two weeks? Pretty good odds," Tucker considered, the two sitting at their usual table. "Not sure if this stunt is gonna help or not."

"Yeah. Didn't really think this through fully," Danny hummed. "I mean, I'm probably fine. Probably." Tucker only shook his head, opening up his laptop as Danny slipped his reading glasses on and started writing in one of his notebooks. Seeing the title, Tucker gave his friend a flat look. "What? Everyone needs a will!"

"This is why Sam and Valerie are trying to kill you," Tucker pointed out, sighing as Danny pushed the notebook over and pointed to a witness signature line. "How long have you had this?! And how many pages is it?!"

"Um...about four front to back?" Danny shrugged, chuckling nervously at the look he was given. "Seemed like a pretty good idea at the time. So, be my witness?"

"You're lucky I love you so much," Tucker sighed, signing where he was directed, and feeling like he was signing over his soul. "So, who gets what?"

"All my games and tech go to you, buddy."

"You worry me, Danny."

"Yeah, I do that to a lot of people."

The rest of the day proceeded rather normally, Danny's hair and eye color finally fading back to normal - although there were more than a few close calls with the A-Listers. When the final bell rang, he was happily escaping the school, glancing around to make sure his friends were nowhere in sight. If Andrew was here, then they wouldn't hesitate to tell him.

"Looking for someone?" Seeing said mate, Danny only smiled, happy to see that his friends were nowhere in sight. "You know, I _do_ have a phone." Oh. Ooh… Oh shit.

"Okay, but I have a really, _really_ good explanation." Seeing the expectant look, Danny paused. "Actually...I don't. Usually people cut me off, so I gave up hope of explaining- But, uh, I can probably make a reasonable sounding excuse, you know, something that-"

" _Fourteen ounces_." Yeah. He was...he was doomed. "And where is Randy?! He was supposed to be keeping an eye on you and telling me if anything bad happened-"

"That...might be my fault that he didn't come see you." Seeing the look again, Danny dug around in his bag, pulling out the pokeball. Andrew stared at it in confusion for a few seconds, which was quickly replaced with shock. "Yeaaah. I kind of...panicked."

Grabbing Andrew's hand, he pulled him a few blocks away to the park, his mate shedding his illusion as Danny finally released Randy. The teen wasn't too surprised when he was suddenly in a headlock. "Do you know how cramped it is in there?!"

"Aw, did the mighty 'White Fang' get taken down by a teenager and his pop culture device?" Turning his glare to his brother, Randy narrowed his eyes further, Danny using the chance to slip free and hide behind his mate. "Yes, I'm very scared of your glares. Oh, wait...that was sarcasm. My mistake."

"Wait, wait...your assassin name was White Fang?" Danny asked, grin on his face. "Oh man, that's adorable." Seeing the man ready to charge, Danny followed his instincts, which was to change into his ghost half, grab his mate's hand, and flee. It wasn't until they were over the woods a few miles away that he realized what had happened. "Ha! It did work!"

Letting his mate go, who looked to still be shocked at seeing his ghost form again, Danny let his hands glow with energy, watching it change from green, to the blue of his ice powers. Buzzing with energy, he laughed loudly, flying back to his mate and tackling him in a hug. "See! I totally knew what I was doing!"

"Not so much that as you are very lucky," Andrew sighed, carefully brushing Danny's hair back, and pressing a relieved kiss to the teen's forehead. "I'm glad you're feeling better, however… Very, very glad…"

"Mhm, I'm feeling _much_ better," Danny smiled, a wicked quirk to his lips that had Andrew blushing. "You know, Vidya was very kind in explaining what you had planned the rest of that Valentine's Day… Feel like making it up?"

"I- Um- Yes?" Danny laughed, pulling his mate down for a kiss, and happy when it was equally returned, Andrew letting out his own laugh as they parted. "You're never going to give up, are you…"

"Mm, not as long as I'm fighting for something, I think," Danny hummed consideringly, draping his arms around Andrew and resting his head on his shoulder, ghostly tail curling around the other's legs. "And this time...I'm fighting for you. And you know how stubborn I can be, mon ange."

"I wouldn't want you any other way, mon cher."

* * *

Tick... Tock...

Out of time, Dear Reader.


	44. Just Beginning

I hope you enjoyed my story and comments - I know I enjoyed your reactions! It was a pleasure to write for you lovely people, and seeing your comments very often made my day quite enjoyable!

Warnings for : references to sexual situations, guns, knives being used as weapons, mentions of past death, gangs, never giving up

* * *

**Chapter Forty Four - Just Beginning**

**::**

"Well, it's been two weeks, and I've yet to disintegrate into a puddle of ectoplasm, so, you know, I _might_ just know what I'm doing." Seeing the glare from his friend, Danny gave a happy and innocent smile.

"You're lucky it's your birthday...it means I have to wait until tomorrow to destroy you-"

"Aw! I love you too, Sammy!" Danny cooed, wrapping his arms around the girl and pushing her a few steps back with his hug, rubbing their cheeks together. "I knew you could be sweet when you tried!"

"Is there a reason you're all...cuddly, today?" Sam asked, finally escaping Danny's hug. Now that she was looking, she noticed the teen looked _exhausted_ , but in a decidedly good way, considering he couldn't stop smiling and humming. "Actually, I'm not sure I want to know…"

"Let's just say Andrew gave me my birthday present early," Danny giggled, loving expression on his face as he made his way to class, movements between a glide and a bounce. Sam was worried she would have to drag him down if he started flying, and the other students were definitely noticing his happy mood.

It was at lunch, when Danny was happily texting Andrew, that Sam figured she should tell him that he was the talk of most of the school. "So, Danny...how would you react if you found out you were being gossiped about?"

"Depends on the gossip," Danny shot back, not looking up from his phone as his other three friends shared looks. "Unless it was really bad, probably wouldn't care."

"I wouldn't say _bad_ ," Tucker hedged, scratching the back of his head. "More just one of those lingering school topics that-"

"Everyone knows you slept with that writer of yours and now they're trying to find out just who he is," Valerie broke in, shrugging at Sam and Tucker's looks. "Someone had to tell him." At the table, Danny let out a snort of laughter, hand over his mouth.

"I wish them luck on _that_ endeavor," he snickered, smile wide on his face. "Really, I do. I mean, have they got any leads to go on?"

"Well, they know his name is Andrew," Sam pointed out. "They know he picks you up from school everyday, and they think he's a college student from what you said that one day, except, you know-"

"Ooh, right, his illusion form only looks about seventeen," Danny nodded, titling his head in consideration. "Mm, didn't think that one out, of course, that was the truth potion mess I had to deal with. So, what? Are they trying to search nearby schools or something?"

"Sort of," Tucker shrugged. "Paulina thinks that your boyfriend also happens to be the ghost that's most seen around Phantom." At the look, Danny, instead of panicking, only let out another chuckle.

"You know, I think I underestimated her. Maybe not the brightest, but her social cues are top notch. How does the whole gang story fit in with him, though? Am I the evil gang member who corrupted an innocent teenager?"

"More like he's the one who corrupted you," Valerie snorted, Danny raised an eyebrow. "Most popular story is that, while your _cousin_ recruited you, he's the one that made you want to stay."

"Aw...that's adorable," Danny grinned, Tucker laughing as Sam rolled her eyes. "No, seriously, that is really adorable. I'm proud of this school sometimes. Does Andrew happen to be high ranking in my gang?"

"Second in command according to the last rumor I heard," Sam shrugged, pulling out her own phone and scrolling through it. "Mhm, go to killer, too. You know, this school gets a lot right when they try."

"They just need the right motivation, I guess," Danny laughed. "Oh...ooh...I just got the most wonderful idea." Quickly dialing a number on his phone, he put it up to his ear, grinning widely. "Hiii, Kitty~ Say, how would you like to have a little fun after school ends today… Think of it as...a birthday gift..."

::

"This is a terrible idea, and you are a masochist," Sam sighed, Danny only giving her a smirk. "No- Don't you dare. I already know more about your bedroom life than I wanted too."

"Pointed teeth, Sam. Pointed teeth." Danny laughed as he was shoved down the steps, his friends following after him. Now that he was aware of what was being said about him, it was easy to see the looks given his way, and the whispers that followed him. He probably should have noticed first thing that morning, but, well, he was a little busy thinking of other things.

"Hey there, petit mec!" Feeling an arm slung around his shoulders, Danny blinked, and looked up to see a very human Randy, who was grinning a bit too wide. "I am still very angry at you."

"Now, Randy, I know it probably wasn't my _best_ move, but let's talk about this like reasonable adults, okay?" Danny nervously chuckled, taking a step back at the glare he was given. "I panicked! I mean, it's not like you were in _danger_ , even if it was untested-"

"YOU USED UNTESTED TECH ON ME?! HOW BAD DO YOU HAVE TO PANIC FOR THAT?!"

"Well, pretty panicked, I guess," Danny shrugged, ducking at the gunshot fired at his head. He was very thankful he had his powers back, otherwise he wouldn't have dodged that quite so easily. "Aw, come on, can't we let bygones be bygones?"

"Maybe after you have a couple of bullet holes." Danny let out a small grin at seeing half the student body was panicked before sending a wink to Randy, who let out his own grin. He really was having too much fun, but, he figured since it was his birthday, he was allowed to have a _little_ fun. "I'm sure the Boss won't miss you _that_ much."

"Aw, your brother would, though," Danny smiled, dodging another shot, and watching as students scattered, some running inside to find teachers. "Can't we talk this out? You know, _not_ kill me?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Randy asked, grinning widely before yelping, gun falling out of his hand and hitting the ground, a knife clattering to the ground beside it. A very familiar knife that had Danny smiling as he looked behind him, seeing an amused Andrew. "Really?! Are you trying to cut my hand off?!"

"Mm, now there's a thought," Andrew mused, Danny happily tackling him in a hug and then leaning off his arm, sticking his tongue out at Randy. "Must you really try to kill him?"

"Trapped for _eight hours_! It was _tiny_ , frérot, tiny! I don't do tiny spaces!" Andrew only rolled his eyes at the dramatics, crossing his arms as Danny shamelessly used him as a shield.

"Hardly my fault you're so uncomfortable in tight spaces. It was your own fault for being ridiculous with that one target of yours - the wealthy mistress? I _told_ you she was clever, but no, you had to go and get _seduced,_ and trapped in a car trunk for two days."

"Oh, here we go! Using that one against me!" Randy groaned, Danny only listening in curiosity, other students recording the three on their phones. "Intel was wrong, and you know it! She knew we were after her the moment I walked into that bar- I mean, I don't get what the problem is, since I managed to kill her in the end."

"The problem is that you were caught and seen," Andrew pointed out, frown on his face. "You were an undercover assassin, you weren't _supposed_ to be seen."

"Alright, frérot, shall we bring up _your_ first seducing mission." At his mate's blush, Danny grinned widely. Now _this_ was something he wanted to hear. "You couldn't even flirt the guy out of the bar! You acted like petit mec does half the time!"

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Danny snapped, leaning against Andrew's back, hands clenching the fabric of the familiar trench coat. "Also, I need to hear the rest of this story."

"Oh, it was great, you see- Hey!" Andrew only grinned innocently, the knife he had thrown now embedded three inches into the wall behind Randy, the knife he had barely dodged. Perking up at hearing the sound of a motorcycle, Danny gave a grin, lightly tugging Andrew's coat.

"Yo! Lil cuz!" Johnny waved Danny over, Kitty grinning as she slipped off the bike and gave the teen a tight hug. "Happy birthday, by the way. Also, Boss has a new mission for you, something about your first target?"

"Neat," Danny snickered, almost bursting out laughing at seeing most students flee the area, the others looking horrified and terrified in equal amounts. "Know where I'm going?"

"That rich place up on the hills," Kitty grinned, shooting a dark look towards Paulina, who was using Dash as a human shield. "The details should be in the usual place." Danny nodded, giving a subtle gesture for the next part of their plan.

"Oh, right. Hey, GW!" Hearing his name called, the ghost glanced back, pausing from where he was about to throw another knife at his brother. "Boss wants his second in command back!"

"Oui, oui, un moment." Kitty glanced to Danny, who was lightly blushing, and fidgeting where he stood. Slowly grinning, Danny gave her a panicked look.

"No- Don't you- I am not talking about this with you again!"

"Come on, Danny, give me some girl talk!" The teen was immediately trying to escape, Andrew and Randy distracted from their fight as they shared looks, unsure what to do as Kitty kept dragging the teen back. "Aw, come on, I think it's adorable you have a language kink."

"I do _not_ have a-" Danny abruptly paused, giving a considering tilt of his head. "Okay, so I wouldn't call it a _kink_ \- Argh! I'm not talking about this with you." Escaping, Kitty gave a pout as he ran off. It took a few moments to find an alleyway he could change in, ghost form overtaking his human one as he shot into the air, doubling back to the school, gleeful at the remaining student's panicked expressions and outrageous accusations. "Think I overdid it?"

"Perhaps," Andrew hummed, floating in the air beside him, back in his ghost form. "Randy certainly had fun, though. I think he's down there and still terrorizing a few people."

"It would not surprise me," Danny grinned, swiftly moving to wrap around his mate, who laughed and hugged him back. "Thanks for helping. If nothing else, this will distract them from the theories of me being Phantom for a few days. Also, was that last story of Randy's true?"

"Let's pretend it wasn't," Andrew coughed, Danny grinning and reaching up to give him a kiss. "So, how else would you liked to spend your birthday?"

"Jazz planned another family fun day," Danny grinned. "And this time she invited Randy." At Andrew's sigh, Danny let out a laugh. "Hey, he's part of the family too, might as well get used to it." Taking his mate's hand, he began flying towards the Fenton portal, humming happily until he noticed the silence. "What? No complaints about your twenty years of peace being shattered?"

"Somehow, I can't bring myself to be sad that it is."

::

"So. Pretty sure that couldn't have gone more wrong if it was planned that way," Danny muttered, tiredly laying across his mate, who was facedown on the bed and not moving. "What was that about not being sad about your peace being gone?"

" _So. Many. Robots._ " Danny absently patted his mate's head, too tired to move from where he had fallen once they had arrived home.

"Yeah, I don't think Technus planned on those damn things being that wild, either. Least he helped, or, you know, tried to. And, you know, Jazz terrified everyone when she showed just how capable she was with weapons."

"Your sister is terrifying on her own, mon cher, she doesn't need to prove it," Andrew grumbled, tiredly using his powers to flick the lights and candles out, too tired to do much else. Two loud thumps alerted him to the lions having found them, however. "It became a habit…"

"Yeah, kind of did," Danny yawned, sliding off his mate's back and burrowing under his arm, cuddling up to him and sighing in relief as the pain in his back dulled a small amount. "Well, on the bright side, I'm still alive for the most part. Honestly, didn't think I'd make it to seventeen."

"With how reckless you are, I can see why," Andrew snorted, soothing any sting of his words with a sweet kiss to Danny's forehead, moving to tug the blankets over them. "Now let's see if we can have you make it through the rest of your school year."

"I will do my best," Danny grinned, laughing at Andrew's sigh. "Getting kind of worried with how bad my back's been hurting, though. Even with my powers back, it's only seems to have gotten _worse_." Feeling a hand soothingly run through his hair, Danny let out a small sigh, knowing there wasn't much either of them could do. It had been a miracle enough that his ectoplasm plan had worked, and he doubted it would work again.

Settling down, and almost falling asleep, Danny suddenly darted up, startling Andrew and the lions. "Dude- Andrew- Andy- GW- I just _realized_." Tugging his mate up, who was still startled and looking at him as if he had lost it, Danny gave a wide grin. "I am _stubborn_."

"I- Okay?" Andrew nervously asked, wondering if he should be knocking his mate unconsciousness. "Is- Is there a reason this is being brought up?"

"No, no, no. I'm _stubborn_." Danny grinned widely, as if he had just solved the answer to everything. At his mate's even more confused look, the teen gave a laugh. "Think about it! I was stubborn enough to beat _Pariah_. You know, the big bad ghost king who was supposed to be the end of the world, or something? I was stubborn enough to beat _Dan_ and go against _all of time_. So, if I was stubborn enough to survive those things, why not this too?"

"I'm...afraid I don't follow, mon cher." Blinking at the excited kiss he was given, Andrew cautiously returned it, raising an eyebrow as Danny parted to let out another laugh. "Should I be worried?" Danny shook his head, smile still wide on his face.

"I've survived fallen kings, death, terrible futures, Fate, and I've fought back when _time itself_ was against me. If I could survive all of that...what's to stop me from surviving this, right? I love you, Clockwork, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Valerie, Elle, and even your ridiculous brother. And I really, _really_ am not too keen on giving you guys up, so…

"I won't."

* * *

See you again soon, Dear Readers. After all...it's just beginning...


	45. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**::**

_Danny gave a curious look to the room he was in, lazily floating past warm, rust-colored hallways and columns. Pausing at the edge of a large, open room, he blinked at seeing a gathering of figures, twelve in total. Behind each figure, except one, he could see a faint, indistinct outline that reminded him of others, some familiar, and some he had never seen._

_The one figure that didn't have an outline glanced back at him, small smile on his face, and wicked sharp scythe in hand. Danny quietly flew over, tilting his head in silent question. A warm laugh sounded throughout the room, metal wings rippling in amusement on the unfamiliar figure._

" _Hello, young Guardian…"_

_Danny had a feeling that things were just beginning…_

* * *

[fanfiction net/s/8264945/1/Guardian](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8264945/1/Guardian)   
<http://archiveofourown.org/works/3658827/chapters/8085099>

 


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